To The Age of Ages
by NixxH
Summary: I had served a third of my life in that hell. Now, the queen had released me to once again ravage the world, yet with a purpose. Albion was in danger, and this time I was stuck defending it. I should have expected it, being the daughter of the Hero of Brightwall. I just never expected to meet THAT egotistical, pompous, self-centered, bastard son of a...! Reaver/OC. COMPLETED!
1. I: Alouette

**Author's Note: **Well, here's the reason I have been slacking on my Kakashi story. =3 I'm real bad about writing a million different stories at once, it seems. Anyways, this story is finished outside of FF, so I'll just be updating this one often while I'm writing the Kakashi one in the background. Anyways, this was a spur of the moment idea I just had to turn into a story and I chose Fable in the end. This is post Fable III, and the main character is one of ill-repute, as you will come to learn. Of course, does she change in the end? Or does she die? What happens? Oh, we'll see. =D  
I will update as I can. I have been working on my next cosplay. I am going as... DUN DUN DUN... REAVER! And my friend will be attending as the Queen from Fable III but in a wedding theme, as if the two of us are marrying. =3 It's going to be cute.  
I might be creating an Oban Star Racers story with an OC for Aikka. I have an idea for it I really wanna try out. We'll see.  
Oops, I'm rambling. Enjoy the new story!

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**Chapter One: Alouette  
**

The walls were closing in, I could feel their dank texture pressing against my very bones. It was maddening, this place and I had lost all touch of reality within this dark prison. Time, how quaint a thing those never come to appreciate when on the outside, yet once you are put into a place a person with the highest of I.Q.s would go mad, you come to appreciate such little things such as the light of day, the taste of a cold beer on your tongue. The smell of the wide open seas. . .

I believe I had been in this dungeon for nearly five years now, no thanks to that desolate mother of mine, and had never come to terms with the wrongs she had done to me. Had I been so terrible of a person? So vicious of a madman? I had sailed the seas since before I could remember, righting the wrongs I believed were done in the name of justice. And yet, I had wound up here. . .

Is there so little hope for one with blood such as mine? Either you take the road of a hero, or one of a malevolent, deceitful demon, never able to turn back even if what you have done is something you have _been told _is only right? Justice does not exist in such a world, and I am living proof of the crimes against mankind. I would never forgive her, and I am sure the feelings were shared.

The groaning of a door brings me from the silent spew of hatred, the idea of torture reigning across my thoughts. Though, I doubted I could ever act against the only parent I had ever known, despite the rejection given and how everything I had come to love had been given to my damned brother. A set of deep, ocean blue eyes peer up at the figure as the guard steps through the threshold, my strength depleted to a point of inability to strike against him. The massive amounts of chains kept on my figure were probably of no help, though.

"Alouette, you have been summoned," he murmurs, the voice deep and scratching against my sensitive ears. Had I been so long without the voice of another human being? His hand roughly pulls against my forearm, leading me from my own personal hell and dragging me through the corridors. I could see the many other doors leading to the similar six-by-eight cells, a sight I had not witnessed since I had first been thrown within my own new _abode_.

I am dragged into a carriage, a guard for every one of my digits surrounding on both horseback and pressed against me within the confining space. One would think I would be used to such small places, but even now, I felt the air trying to leave me, heart racing. Where in the hell were they taking me? Was I heading to the guillotine?

The ride was arduous, bumpy, and grueling on my fatigued, wearied body. Bones were evident beneath thin layers of flesh, and I took to the brief glimpses of sunlight to gaze upon the blood and dirt caked beneath my jagged nails. My hair, from further touch, was obviously ratted and in a horrid mess one might very well take days to sort out. A simple brown tunic and a set of matching pants adorned my form, hanging loosely from what was once a full-figure, not a thing on my feet. I did not even want to discuss just how awful they looked upon further inspection.

At last, our ride comes to a halt, though I was once again unaware of the length of the ride. It could have taken minutes, or it might have possibly been days. I was well fed throughout my journey, or had it been scarce and over a multitude of moons? The world had been turned upside down during my stay, at least my own was.

When I am dragged from the carriage, I notice it was dark, the moon unable to peek from the overhanging shadows casted by the thick arrangement of clouds. No, this was not what caught my attention, but instead the very place I was being dragged. A grand structure, unlike anything in all of Albion, or the very world from what I had seen, and decorated in the image of the finest hero Albion had ever seen.

"Keep moving!" I hiss as a hand slams against my back, propelling me into the last place on earth I wished to be. Take me back to that damned cell, for all I cared, just not to _this _particular residence, not the grandeur of the castle that held a queen who cared only for her people, and not at all for her family.

Unfortunately, I am not allowed the luxury of opinion, for my small frame is dragged into a room filled with ungodly amounts of books and records, unchained and thrown into a plush chair beside a fireplace. I knew this room all too well, and before I could scream in protest, the very woman I _loathed _to see entered, ushering all of the guards from the room.

"Alouette," the lush, beautiful voice calls, music to the ears of one as plagued as I. Disgust rose in my stomach, the bile from the stale bread and cheese trying to rise from my throat. She appeared then, a withered face with eyes as green as the forests and lightly hued golden hair graying from age. Despite her obvious years, she was still the loveliest woman to walk these lands, unparalleled in strength, brains, and figure. "I have called you for a reason, my child."

"Do not refer to me as such. You are not worth calling my _mother_," I snarl, yearning to leap forward and seize her throat, though my fatigued limbs and weary stature would not allow such acts just yet. It would take a long time to finally make myself able to even walk, let alone attack someone as strong as _her_. "What the hell could you possible need me for when you have such a prodigy right under your nose?"

She narrows her eyes at me, sitting in her own chair and glancing at the fire. It took a few moments to give forth an answer, eyes training back to my own. "There is a job that must be done, and one that only _you _have the prowess to do. That is why I summoned you, and I would like to see how you are doing, considering you have not allowed a single one of my visits over the seven years you have been incarcerated."

_'Seven years? Hmm, that would mean I'm about twenty-five by now.'_ The rueful smile that slithered across my lips might very well chill a balverine to its core, though the woman was not phased. I snatch up a bottle from the table between us, the cold liquid burning my throat as I recognize the familiar taste of _The Gangreen Fairy_, a personal favorite beer of mine. How ironic that she would remember such a minor detail, though I doubted that the woman forgot anything.

When the woman realizes I was not going to speak, too engaged in my alcohol, she continues, "I have a mission for you, one that will allow you to be reinstated as a princess of Albion once more if you complete it successfully. If you try to run or fail, you will be put right back in that cell of yours, though with much smaller accommodations. I will give you money and provisions, but I warn you _I will find you if you try anything stupid_."

Though I did not really want my title back as princess of Albion, especially considering I would never rightfully own the throne as I should and that it would instead go to my younger brother, I did like the idea of _freedom_. "What is it that I would possibly have to do to earn such privileges, _Your Majesty_?" I sneer as the formality slides from my tongue, drenched in a thick layer of sarcasm that not even a hobbe would miss. "And why can't you handle it yourself, _Oh Mighty Queen_?"

She sighs, rubbing the bridge of her nose, a nervous habit she always had when thinking too hard. The woman was trying to find the perfect way to word something that was probably not even half as complicated as she was making it seem. "There is this man, one that I cannot get even close to anymore. He is more taken with the younger crop of women, despite his _horrendous _age. Apparently, with the way the years have aged me, I am unable to get close to him personally."

"As if I am anything to look at these days," I murmur, a bark of laughter rolling from my irritated throat. "Who could this person possibly be to have you so on edge? Why not barge in, guns blazing like the good old days of the _Rebel Queen_, eh? Are you too old to shoot a gun anymore?" The laughter continues, filling the room with a remarkable echo I did not ever remember.

The noise is cut short with a loud _click, BANG! _followed by a gunshot making its way directly through the neck of my narrow bottle, spilling the few remaining contents and the glass all across my lap. A set of ocean eyes narrow on the similar forest ones, both locked in a heated gaze in a severe fight to overcome the other. Unfortunately, I am the one to break that burning glare, brushing the shards off my skin and cutting my palms in the process. Minor wounds are nothing I was worried about as of right now, for they would heal shortly.

"I cannot go in 'guns blazing', as you so put it, because the man is nearly impossible to find," she whispers, eyes dancing in that fire once more. "You remember him well, I'm sure, from when you were a child. His name is Reaver, the man who used to head my industrial sectors until I finally found a grounds to fire him. Now, he is off roaming the world and incapable of being located."

"And you need my man-hunting expertise to track him down obviously," I snort, snatching up another bottle of the lovely drink and wolfing down some of the delicate pastries set out. It had been so long since such flavors exploded in my mouth, and I would savor every last morsel until I was ordered to stop or ran out. "But I do not realize how looks come in to this little equation? Obviously I understand I cannot fight him right now, considering my state," I gesture to the entire frailty of my form, "but trying to make friends sounds like a bit of a stretch. Why is he needed and why do I need to huddle up to him, eh?"

The elderly beauty raises a perfect brow at my eating habits, shaking her head. The years within the castle had ruined her, and she only knew the refinery of a queen by this point. Though, apparently she still possessed a trigger finger that could very well make its mark. "I need him to help me find an artifact I once believed lost in time. If any would know of its location, or even vague information, it would be him. I would give you all the paperwork on the adventure as well upon your departure, in case you happen upon information on your own."

The little pastries were gone and my belly was stuffed to the brim, yet I still had a plentiful appetite for beer. "And why is this artifact so important, I ask?" Another bottle was emptied, tossed aside for a servant to pick up later upon my leave. I figured a heavy amount of scented candles would need to be lit in my absence to mask the smell of deteriorating hygiene over the years without a bath.

"I have been told by a source that it is valuable and will be needed in the future, though I'm unaware for what exactly," she calls back, swiping the last brew from the table and downing it in a go. Spry old hag. . . Her body language and the look within her eyes signified she was telling the absolute truth, though I hated to believe her. "So, what do you say? Will you take the job? Your slate would be cleaned and I would allow you a ship of your own again to properly find him."

On one hand, I never wanted to help this pathetic excuse for a mother again in all my years, except by putting her in an early grave. On the other hand, I was being offered freedom, money, and a ship of my own to reassess my true love of the sea after seven years of being torn from it. My decision was made before I even heard the terms of the deal. . .

"I'll do it, but I want a ship just like my old one, fully stocked with all the beer, food, and goods I will need. This includes a crew of hearty men, all chosen by _me_. Any death, looting, or carnage that follows me will need to be overlooked, though I will try my _best _to avoid such happenings," I sneer, shaking my head. I would not create mass genocide, but if I needed to shoot someone, I very well would be allowed to do such. "Also, I need time to recover and build my strength back up before I can do anything."

"I can have you repaired personally in no time," she smiles a secretive one, standing from her chair and holding a hand out to me. "Alouette, I will accept these terms under the sole condition that you allow _one _of my men aboard your crew ship. Otherwise, we will not strike an accord."

"Agreed, old wretch," I growl, throwing my own boney hand into hers, shakily pulling myself to my feet. The motion took more out of me than I imagined, the quaking of my knees nearly unbearable, but I held a strong front. Though, I swear I glanced pity in those green eyes for a second.

"We have made a deal," Queen Valentina of Albion, Hero of Brightwall, commands in a voice that made the very room shudder. I feel an overwhelming pressure begin in my hand, the one possessed by the revered woman, that soon spreads across my entire body. What first began as a soothing tingle turned quickly to a tremendous push that made my body cry out in sheer torment. I allowed a single, lasting scream to pierce the silent air, crumpling to the floor unconscious not but a few moments afterwards, unable to hear the words of the great queen. _"And so the Pirate Hero returns, my child."_

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**Author's Note: **First chapter is officially done! What do you think? Please, **REVIEW** or I'll send the crazy criminal Alouette out for your bones. . . After she can walk properly that is. XD


	2. II: Reborn Anew

**Chapter Two: Reborn Anew**

A steady stream of bright light slithered across my eyelids, wretching me peacefully from a dream so deep, I was unaware of how something so miniscule as a sliver of light could possibly wake me. Had a crack formed in the wall of my cell enough to allow such light? It was highly doubtful, considering all the cells were below ground and encased in many layers of stone. My eyes flutter open, trying to make sense of such a feat, and I am pleasantly surprised.

The room was lavish, filled with priceless artworks depicting raging seas and calming islands, decorate in all sorts of rich, deep colors. A startling crimson hue raged the hardest in the multitudes of blacks, whites, reds, and golds, weaving in and proving itself dominant, especially against the mahogany of the canopy bed my body rolled against. My fingers clench around the decadent satins, lavishing in the feel of the cool texture against my burning skin.

All at once, the memory of my final moments awake shoot forth, body flinging upright and a frown pushing against my lips. The usual carelessness of fatigue did not rake my form, and as my boney fingers begin rummaging through my once-tangled locks, I realize just how soft the mane had come to be. _'What in the hell is going on?'_

"Oh Miss, you are awake!" A short, plump little woman waddles into the room, wearing the ceremonial maids attire of the grandest structure of Albion and all of the world itself, a smile as wide as the mountains across her narrow lips. "Shall I assist you out of bed?" The woman, obviously a decade or two older than myself, lightly clenches my arm, helping me get to the nearby bathroom to clean up. The image that catches my eye in the mirror nearly topples me backwards, forcing myself into a chair before the massive vanity sink. "I'll draw your bath up for you, then."

I did not hear her last words, but instead stared at the woman in the mirror. Long, thick reddish locks cascaded down past my elbows, skin unmarred besides the scar that jutted across my left arm. Beneath dark lashes stood blazing blue eyes, the color of the wide, clear seas surrounding Albion and Aurora. The symbol of a pirate was marked across my heart, a tattoo from many, many years prior, and I realized I was stark naked. The form before the mirror, my form, was once skinny and boney from lack of proper nutrition, but now filled out into a beautiful hourglass, much like the queen had in her prime years. The only reminder that I had spent the last seven years in a cell was the pale, ghostly complexion, though that would be remedied soon once I took my place upon the raging tides once more.

"This cannot possibly be me," I murmur, hand touching the mirror gently, awe-struck. The maid, whom had witnessed my entire charade, was smiling softly to herself, pulling me towards the tub. "Lady, how long have I been out exactly?" There was no way it could have simply been overnight, for I was too nourished for it to be true.

"About a week Miss," she murmurs, chuckling as she begins scrubbing me in the warm, soothing waters. "The queen mentioned something about infusing you with a renewed strength when I began taking charge of you a short six days ago, I tell you. I watched you grow from skin and bones to the right beauty you are now. I've seen the pictures in the castle of before your banishment-" I snort at that word, knowing that my damned mother had told everyone I had been 'banished' and not 'imprisoned'. It would ruin her look, "-and you look even better than you did before, I say."

The rest of the bath, I ignore the woman, allowing her to scrub away what grime could not be removed from me during sponge bathes in the satin covered bedding. Once my hair is washed and dried, the elderly lady trimming up the thick mane, I'm escorted to a closet to the side of the room. A laugh breaks my still scratching throat as I realize it was a new take on my old choice of wardrobe, at last pulling an ensemble from the multitudes.

The shirt came just past my breasts, white and ruffled, and I pulled a red and black corset half-shirt on top of it, lacing up the front of the fixture. Gold trimmed lined the edges, thin strands of the precious material, and it came to match the bracelets put on both upper arms and my wrists. A set of black gloves sporting only two fingers on each is pulled onto my hands, rings adorning every finger. A set of tight red pants are pulled low on my hips, black pieces going down the sides of each leg, and a large buckled belt of gold is set to hold the skin-tight fabric in place, also quite low. The boots are heeled and black with golden designs, the cuffs turned down at the tops to show the designs within.

My hair is pulled into a thick red ribbon near the ends of the hair, allowing it to fall freely, my bangs nearly covering one cerulean eye, but brushed carelessly aside. I pull on a necklace and a set of earrings of shining gold, followed by a black captain's hat with white lace at the top, much like my shirt, and a large red bow with golden feathers sticking from the top. A quick glance into the mirror and I satisfy myself with the final touch, blazing red lipstick.

"Now what is the plan for my day, lady?" I clink the rings on my hands together irritably, following her out to a set of horses. A large black steed was saddled and readied for me, soon joined by the other horse bearing an unpleasant rider. I scowl at my mother, climbing up onto the massive horse and sighing as she begins leading me from the castle and towards the nearby docks. "What are we doing?"

"You are about to pick out your crew. I need you to get started immediately, and a ship has already been prepared and stocked, along with your personal belongings and effects," she answers, dismounting after we arrive at the bustling docks. "There's the lineup. Pick as many as you need and you may be on your way. All the paperwork needed on the artifact is also in your cabin, which has been decorated to your liking, I believe."

I stop listening to her incessant rambling, turning to the large herd of men. "Lineup! I said LINEUP!" All of the guffawing animals take their places in a lengthy line, and I proceed to go through, analyzing each and picking out the qualities in the dirty rats that I approved of or highly disliked. "Alright, you, you, not you, definitely you and you, you go but the monkey stays, and you too," and so I decidedly pick out a healthy number of sailors, knowing half of the pirates would not make it a week, maybe even a day, aboard my ship. "Alright, we set sail as soon as she's ready to go. Where's my ship, old woman?" I glare at my _mother_.

"Right there," she murmurs, ignoring the insult as I face the mighty ship before me. Tears nearly come to my eyes as I realize it was not just any old ship, but the very one I had seized when I was taken to my cell underground. It had been cleaned of all the old blood stains and the dark mahogany exterior shone with a new gleam, the ragged old sails replaced with startlingly alabaster ones.

"If I didn't hate you, I might very well hug you," I spit to the queen, motioning all the men onboard. "Everyone! Get to work! We have a lot to do to get this thing moving, now don't we? Hurry the hell up, I say!" I go to make my way towards the ship, but a hand on my shoulder stopped the trek before it began. I raise a brow at Valentina, scoffing at her with a deep, menacing glower.

"Be careful, Alouette. There's many things I need to tell you upon your return," she whispers, getting closer to add in the last bit, "But, I will warn you of just how dangerous this could turn out to be. There's only one person in this world with a shot better than yours, and you need to watch out for him."

"Well, we will see just how off his shot will be with a bullet between his eyes," I give a bark of laughter, walking onto the gangplank and up to the polished deck, heels clicking as I go. "It's not me you need to be worried about, oh _Queen Valentina_." With that said, I enter the recesses of my cabin with a loud _BANG!_ Oh, I would certainly enjoy this trip. . . If I ever decided to come back that is.

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**Author's Note: **REVIEW! Or I'll send my beloved Alouette and her filthy crew to hang you from the yard arm! DO IT!


	3. III: Ugly Mishaps

**Chapter Three: Ugly Mishaps**

"Hale, what is the damage?" I call towards my first mate, assessing the death toll from the recent raid on a well-armed trading ship that now rested at the bottom of the seas, blood littering the waters and sharks eagerly feasting on the bodies of the deceased. I was casually sitting against the rail of the deck, cleaning the blood from my cutlass after doing so to my beloved pistol. "Please tell me it is manageable?"

"Aye Capt'n," he answers, dumping another body off the side of the boat with a few of the other men. "Seems the queensies mate took a bullet to the head. Should we be worried?" A cruel smile plays across my lips, shaking my head in answer to the dirty wretch of a man, watching the man my mother had sent on her behalf as his body falls to the grimy depths of the tides. "We lost three, Capt'n."

"Tisk, tisk," I chuckle, sliding my sword back in its sheathe and glancing at the remaining twenty crew members. "Seems like we have plenty to operate the ship," I run my hands across a few boxes of our new squander, red-painted nails tapping lightly against the thick wood of the crates. "We have plenty of supplies to last the duration of our trip to Aurora. We will not be staying long in the port town, I'm afraid. I absolutely hate the drab scenery. The people aren't much to look at either. I'll be in my cabin. I want someone on the lookout for land." I avoid a puddle of sickly red, viscous liquid, scowling irritably at the mess. "And someone clean up this damn deck before I make an even bigger mess!" With that, I enter my room and slam the door, taking a seat behind a desk with a bottle of cheaply brewed beer. Unfortunately, the queen did not find it necessary to pack _good _drink upon my ship, and the only delectable fluids we have come across were consumed.

I had been sailing for nearly three weeks now, avidly searching for this _Reaver_ I have apparently met in the past. When I say _avidly_, I mean _hardly_, by the way. Never in my life had I realized just how badly I missed the seas, the smell of saltwater playing against my nose like a drug I simply could not get enough of. We would be reaching the small port in the desert city in a few days time, and until then I would be enjoying myself.

"Miss?" I hear a loud knock at the door, ushering in the intrusion with a sigh. It was another of my crewmembers, though I could not recall his name. "You called for me?"

Ah! Yes, I had called for him before our mishap with the trading ship. They called him Charles aboard _The Ruthless Contessa_, my beloved ship, and he was known for his intellect on the world. "Charles," I fiddle with my gun, tilting my bottle back with a generous laugh, "I need to know of the ways of Aurora in this new age, if they have changed and so forth, but that is not the only reason I have called you in my cabin. Sit."

The man sits, hurriedly explaining to me that Aurora was a new place since I had visited it last. Apparently the people were happier, more blessed with the less frequent attacks from the greats worms of the deserts, which were speculated as rumors until a few short years before my arrest. What my mother has once called _The Veiled Path _had been broken open, allowing sunlight to stream into what was once the darkest pits of Albion, breaking all fears of the Crawler secretly alive and lurking within the shadows of his former home.

"I want to know something very important," I begin to whisper at this point, pulling him in closer to me and dabbing at my richly painted lips, moving some stray droplets of beer from them. "All know that I hunt the Pirate King, Reaver, but I am not that inclined to find him right now. I need any news you might have on his whereabouts though, for I want to head in the general direction he was seen last to relay more news to the queen. Otherwise, I might very well disappear for many years once more. Tell me, what do you know of the ex-tycoon?"

His eyes harden, and could feel the fear radiating off him at the mere mention of one as dastardly as the Reaver I had heard about. "He is a right foul git, but a pirate through and through, my Captain." Charles spoke with a clear speech, much unlike the lingo of seasoned pirates. I pegged him for a scholar, despite his roguish appearance. "I have only heard stories of the man and never have I met him, but I have heard he is ancient."

"This much I know," I murmur, waving my hand with a snort. I had in my mind a man with graying hair, probably aged to one that should be living with Hollow Men, but with the sea at his back and the love of it in his blood. "Tell me where you believe a pirate such as him would go? I do not believe it to be Aurora, and my guess would be somewhere like Samarkand."

"I do not know for sure, my Captain," he calls back, twiddling his fingers together. "All pirates go to Samarkand for their uninhibited people and their exotic goods. It is a haven, especially the port at Debal, and pirates from all over inhabit it, if only for the change in scenery."

"I have been to Samarkand only once before, and never stopped in Debal. It was many, many years ago and I am sure things have changed since then," I rub my chin in thought. "I want you to find out what you can in Aurora, and from there we head to the west. It will be a long journey. Have my first mate join me. Leave."

The man scurries from the room, saluting me before sending in the muscled, scarred first mate of mine. He stands, giving me the normal greeting and I prop my boots upon the desk. "We make port in Aurora shortly. I want all of our supplies stocked to the brim, and I am leaving the task of getting a good crop of men for me to choose from ready to you. We will be stopping the least bit possibly on our next excursion. Make it so we only need to plunder a few loaded merchant ships along the way, got it?"

"Aye Capt'n," he nods, an aloof posture about the vagabond. He was an older man, though not yet in his forties, and had not been part of the crew the queen had lined out for me to choose from. I held a bond with Hale since before my arrest, for he was part of my old crew and my old first mate. It was as if things were half-ass back to normal again. "Where be our next port that is so far from the shores of Aurora, if you don't mind my curiosity?"

I smirk, gazing down at the world map beneath my feet, the expanse covering my entire desk. "We are sailing to Samarkand, to the pirate port of Debal. Tell the men that whoever does not want to risk the treacherous seas that far better disembark once we arrive in Aurora, with their share of the gold we have accumulated of course." Well, despite what I skimmed off the top for ferrying whoever this far, that is.

"Debal, eh?" He shares that maniacal grin with me, his calloused, tanned fingers eagerly tapping against the map and tracing the town. "Never been before, Capt'n. We always seemed to miss it on our old adventures."

"And that is why we will partake in all the delicacies we happen upon," I laugh darkly, remembering just how _uninhibited_ and _exotic_ the people and goods were the last time we traveled to Samarkand. I had never had that much fun in all my years, and had spent many days in the little town of Muskhan. I could only imagine what _fun _a pirate port town could be! "It's growing dark, Hale. I am retiring for the night. Have Simmons take the helm and relay my message."

He begins for the door upon his dismissal, hand reaching for the knob and ready to relay the message before I call to him again, that smirk still on my face. "Oh, and Mr. Hale," I turn my back to him, my hair free of it's band and flowing, removing my shirt but only allowing the pirate to see my exposed back. "If you have no other duties tonight, I invite you to drink in the captain's quarters for the evening. That is all."

I hear a low growl from the averagely attractive, sea-hardened fellow before he takes his leave. No doubt hurrying about his duties to make it back to my cabin, knowing exactly what I meant by the insinuation. I would not be alone on this lovely, blood-drenched evening.

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Aurora truly had changed in all the years I had been away from the heated, desert city, now thriving with bustling life and blooming into a large, powerful place. I could see the repaired places where the giant worms had taken out parts of the city, but everything was now just as beautiful as the old stories described the town, and the people were blooming with an aura of happiness that brought a smile to my face.

I did not want to stay more than a few nights in the city, at most a single evening if at all possible, and thus put myself to work on helping buy the supplies. Fortunately, the merchants knew I meant business and hurriedly delivered my goods to the docks for my men to sort through and properly stock. We had arrived early this morning and had begun immediately on our various exploits, the crew promised their free-time tonight with the single brothel that remained in the town.

My matters took up the entirety of my day, and in the morning I would sort through the prospective crew members that would come aboard. Only a handful of men had decided to stay in Aurora, the others yearning to see Debal and partake in its _spoils_, as one could say.

For now, I believed I had worked hard enough and had joined some of the crew at a local pub, drinking heartily and retelling stories of grandeur from our previous exploits. Everything that ensued that night was rightful behavior of a group of pirates, and I knew I would wake up with one hell of a hangover in the morning hours.

* * *

"Ugh," I groan, groggily rising as the sun beamed through the bay window of my room, spilling light across my bed. I was stark naked as I rose from the sheets, crawling over one of my conquests of the night to take a large swig of the scotch I kept nearby, dousing my hangover. I grumble as I wash off in a basin, pulling on my usual pirate garb and realizing it was time to sort through the other men to take aboard. "Get up, I don't have time to waste," I growl, waking up the duo of attractive Aurorans I had taken to my cabin the night before.

Once they are gone, bottle securely in my hand, I don my hat and boots, making my way onto the dock. Hale was waiting there, lining up a good dozen men or more for me to take my pick of. I round each one, feeling muscles, asking questions, and finally deciding to take along about seven of the group for our trip to Debal.

"Alright, it is time to set sail." My place is taken at the helm, shouting orders to the crew. "Pull anchor, set loose the sails, and hurry the hell up you scurvy mutts!" With a wild laugh, we were out to sea again for our grandest adventure yet.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Don't worry, Reaver will be coming soon. He should be in the next chapter or two, but I don't quite remember. Now... **REVIEW! **Or Alouette will 'make an even bigger mess' of you lot! =3


	4. IV: Debal

**Chapter Four: Debal  
**  
_Other Point of View  
Third Persons_

"Have you heard? _She's _back on the seas!" A careful ear could overhear the nearby conversations, despite the boisterous noise of the rowdy bar. A quick word is mumbled to the two women posted under each of this man's arms, silencing them and calling over the set of sailors.

"Just who is this _'she' _you speak of?" The handsome pirate orders the two men to speak, drinking deep in his mug. The exotic drink of this land had always been a favorite of the man's, and he indulged heavily every chance he could. He had been in this country for nearly a month now, exploring all the newest places he had yet to see, and some of his old favorites.

"The one they call the _Pirate Queen_, mate," one man explains, a wild grin across his face. "Heard me a good bit of rumors on the lass. She's supposedly a real spit-fire, both in and out of the sheets, if you get me meaning."

"Aye, and I heard she was sold on the slave trade all those years ago when she disappeared, but that she killed off her suitor and became a _real _queen, ruling over the mob outside of the Auroran sands," the other man recalls, tipping back his drink and treats himself heavily. "You know who I'm talking about, mate? The woman that sails the fastest ship on the seas? Ruthless lass, I've heard."

"Sounds like nothing more than a story that sailors tell to elicit excitement," the devil answers, ignoring the ladies on his arms. "I would have heard of such a woman. She's probably nothing more than a ship."

"Nay," the first sailor declines, ordering a round for all of them, save the two prostitutes. "My mate seen her with his own eyes. He says she's got hair the color of blood and eyes like the seas, with a temperament to match both the raging elements. A true _woman_, one that will bed ye and kill ye the next morning for not getting out of her chamber quick enough. Real fierce woman. I wonder what she _really _is like under them covers, eh?"

A rowdy laugh is shared between the two drunken sailors, the dark-haired demon ignoring their idiocy. Instead, he turns back to the two ladies at his sides, the men leaving once they realized they were not being listened to any longer. "Have you ever heard such rumors, kittens? A woman pirate captain! How silly!"

"I've heard of her," the woman to his left answers his, nibbling against his collarbone. Her accent was thick, her English rough but learned over the years of dealing with men that could not speak her native tongue. "Though I really doubt some rough pirate is as pretty as they say she is. Ruthless, I'm sure, but a pretty female pirate? That's laughable. Heard she was spotted heading here, towards Samarkand, and took down one of the heavily armed merchant ships not even a hundred miles off the shore."

His brow raises, but he does not listen to any more stories after this, instead allowing the women to lavish him with attention until it was time to attend to his quarters and engage in another nightly romp. If the rumors were true and such a woman would be on these shores, he would have to meet this supposedly amazing pirate and sum up just how _splendid _she was. Doubtful, but worth the laugh and the bullet on his part.

_**-:.:(To The Age of Ages):.:-**_

_Alouette's Point of View  
First Persons_

"I have never been so happy to see land," Hale murmurs, leaning dangerously close behind me. I push backwards, meaning for him to step from my personal space. I thought of him merely as my first mate, and frequent partner if you know my meaning, but he was overstepping his boundaries with trying to get so intimate on deck in front of everyone. "Sorry, Capt'n. Can't control the urges round you, I'm afraid."

"Well get them in check," I growl. I was thoroughly exhausted, having been up for nearly two days by this point. It had taken a good month to get this close to the shores of Debal, and the last couple of days had given way to a monster of a storm. I had lost a dozen good men to the seas, mainly my newcomers, but _The Contessa _was in remarkable shape for weathering such a foul beating. I had been at the helm since the beginning of the storm two days ago, and had refused to let any steer my vessel when such fierce weather threatened my livelihood. "Hale, take the helm. I am in need of a few hours of rest and a hot bath. Put us at port and have some of the men bring the tub in, filled with warm waters so I can properly wash this stink from my hair."

"Aye, Capt'n!" Once his answer is given, I descend from the helm and into my massive chambers, peeling the soaked clothing from my figure and lying across my bed in the nude. I was asleep a few moments after that, face-first and drooling on my feather pillow and satin sheets.

Thankfully, I had hero-blood in me from my long lineage, and a few hours of rest had me back in tip-top shape. When I finally pulled my eyes open, I was lying halfway off the bed with the blanket over me. A tub of warm water was filled in the middle of the room, the size of a set of barrels lying on their sides and just a foot or two tall. I would find a place in town to bathe properly later, and for now sat in the short mass of water, using oils and soaps to clean my body and hair. The various parts of my body are shaved with a sharpened straight-razor, courtesy of a dead stylist, before I head towards my dresser.

Apparently, someone had thought to have my clothing washed, and I pull on the red and black pants, accented with gold, and the matching cropped corset and shirt combo. I follow this with my boots, hat, and multitudes of jewelry, showing my numerous spoils from raids. It would be warm in this climate, thus I leave off the cloak I had taken to wearing the last few weeks on the biting seas and make my way on deck.

The city of Debal was like nothing I had seen before, even though I had briefly been to Samarkand before. The homes were all made of rich woods with rice-paper, sliding doors and numerous gardens of both stone and flowers. The stalls were different from Bowerstone, though not by leagues, and I saw just how little the people of this town wore. The heat was bothersome, yes, and I figured this was the reason for such scantily clad men and women. With the multitudes of delectable, muscled figures roaming around shirtless, I was nowhere near upset with the situation.

"Ah, you're awake!" Hale calls excitedly, his eyes lighting up at the city. "It's like nothing I have ever seen before!" I laugh at his jubilance, reminded of a child in a store full of free toys. "Capt'n, I will say that you should probably be escorted into town. Seems like a numerous amount of thieves, gangs, and pick-pockets roam the streets. It would put the crew at ease if you agreed, that is."

I fiddle with the pistol at my side, an heirloom I had received from my mother before our falling-out. It was a rare piece and one that served me reliably during all my travels; a _Dragonstomper .48_, one hell of a gun and one hell of a bullet. The sword at my side was also legendary, though not nearly as rare as my gun, and was fully augmented, called _The Wolfsbane_.

"I doubt I need any bodyguards. I am more than capable of handling myself, but if it will make the crew feel more at ease in this strange land, I suppose I can take you and Charles along with me," I grumble, walking down the gangplank and towards the town. "I want everyone to repair this ship while I search over the town. Monte, you are in charge of restocking our supplies," I holler, throwing him a pouch of gold that would more than cover our expenses. "I want everything moving in five seconds, or I shoot someone. Got it?"

Once I am reassured that my crew is heavily repairing my vessel, not a single casualty, I walk between Charles and Hale into the exotic town. Immediately, I am mingled in with a monstrous amount of aromas, most of which were delightful. I partake in coated apples, battered meats, and all sorts of things I had never heard of before in my life. We did not have any problems in the town as we went along either, considering a jingling pouch dangled from my hip, closest to Hale.

"I have to say, I love this place already," Charles whispers in awe at all the strange buildings and goods. "Even if that lad isn't here, Captain, I certainly think it was worth the grueling trip over here, eh?" I nod in approval, finding a bathhouse and keeping its location stocked for later purposes. "What are we going to do now? We have toured the entire town already."

"What we do best," I chuckle, sending a messenger boy to my ship to retrieve my crew, shoving a gold piece in his grubby palm, "drink, pillage, and plunder. You know, make complete asses out of ourselves but shoot a few here and pay well there enough to where we are both feared and idolized. Savvy?"

"Aye, aye!" The cheer together, my arms going around both of their waists and leading them into a nearby pub, eagerly taking seats at a corner with plenty of room around us for the crew. It was still daylight, and thus there were not many clambering into the large area for drinks and whores just yet, but I had a feeling we would be neck-deep in parties very shortly.

My hopes come true not long after, for the majority of my crew join us in the pub, masses of whores flocking to the chiseled, wearied sailors, carrying pints of drinks and bottles for everyone. I was thoroughly satisfied, right in the middle of all the men with my legs crossed, my arms around the shoulders of two amazingly beautiful men, sporting rock-hard abs and a tan that made me jealous, despite the amber color of my skin.

I had noticed that about the people here, the differences in looks. Their skin held an amber gloss to it, dark but light at the same time, and many of them had eyes that were more narrowed than ours, along with darker hair colors. Despite this, most of the people were very pleasing to look at, and even though I do not go for women often, I found myself enthralled by some of the beauties of this land.

"Listen up, you dogs!" I holler, never standing from my comfortable seat as the two men at my sides eagerly give me more drink and pipe tobacco. "Tonight, the bill is on me! But, if any of you get out of line, and you know my boundaries, you'll be tied to the anchor and dropped to the bottom of the seas! Savvy?" The boisterous calls of happiness and understanding resound. "This is for all your hard work on my ship! Now drink, fuck, and for Avo's sake, _get me another round!_"

I laugh merrily as everyone hands me off what they can, cheering wildly for their amazing captain. The smirk on my face was legendary as I allowed the two men at my sides to caress, kiss, and touch my exposed skin, drinking heavily and dancing every now and again with members of my crew. All in all, we were having a marvelous time that would not end for a long time to come. Even if we did not find Reaver, I didn't plan on leaving Debal until I was sick of looking at it.

**_-:.:(To The Age of Ages):.:-_**

_Other Point of View  
First Persons_

Again, a figure waltzed through the streets of Debal with two under my arms, members of my crew tailing behind for more drinking at the local pub. We would be departing from this city in a few days for another in Samarkand, but for now decided to continue with debauchery at _The Paper Crane _pub.

Just like every other night the boisterous members of this particular crew had come to this pub, it was packed, but a seat was made in one corner of the place for the rowdy regulars. Well, enough had learned just how many bullets I carried on me the first few encounters in this place. Once the center seat is taken and the man and woman under my arms make themselves comfortable, a set of eyes roam the place. New faces littered the people, but that was nothing out of the ordinary, but it was something else that caught this certain eye.

A ruby in the sea of filth was directly across the huge pub from me, though I was unsure if her looks were truly as appeasing up close as they were from this distance. Two chiseled fellows were under each of her arms, vying for her attention, and a scantily clad woman of remarkable looks sat upon one of the men's laps, facing the red-headed vixen and whispering things in her ear. The woman was grinning wildly, licking her lips as she tipped back the various bottles before her, hitting a pipe every once in a while when it came around. I had never seen smoke pour so erotically from a woman's lips before. . .

"My, my, just who is _that _little minx I wonder?" I call aloud, some of my crew catching sight of her and proceeding to edge closer. "Oh Franklin, go find out her name, would you? I might need to go and pay a visit to that luscious little harlot." Oh yes, I was positive this had to be a whore, but why did those obvious prostitutes flock to her as if she carried vast amounts of gold?

A smirk slithers onto my face as I analyze her from across the room, taking in how luscious and defined those curves were. Was it possible she was this _Pirate Queen_ I had heard of over a week ago, or had I merely dreamed that entire conversation? Either were possible, but I highly doubted a woman that looked like, well, _that _could be a renowned sailor.

I watch as my crewmember approaches the round table, leaning dangerously close across the wood to her. She stops her laugh, the whores surrounding her halting to watch the display, and her arms make their way from the shoulders of the prostitutes. Franklin leans even closer, reaching forward and making to pull down her top and exact a proper _feel_, before something rather enthralling occurs. A gun is whipped out in the blink of an eye, the barrel shoved into his mouth, and I nearly laugh, knowing she would not pull the trigger.

Apparently, my assumption was wrong as a loud noise silences the pub, blood and brains scattering across the ground as he slumps on the table. No one screamed, fearful they would be next, and two of the men that were drinking near her take the body outside to be dumped on the street. She begins laughing, blowing the smoke from the pistol and shoving it back beneath the table, arms wrapping around her consorts once more.

"Now, someone clean this mess up and bring me a drink, by Avo!" Her voice was thick, rich with the speech of one of well-bred blood, a ladies blood, and hardened by the tides. Oh, so she _was _a sailor then?

"I'll need to pay that little fireball a visit before she leaves," I whisper, finally devoting my attention to the two sitting beside me. "Now, how about I tell you a story, my pets?"

_**-:.:(To The Age of Ages):.:-**_

_Alouette's Point of View  
First Persons_

I was completely hammered, my speech slurred and my vision acting up ever-so-slightly. With hero-blood in me, it took a lot more to get drunk than one would imagine, and wore off far too quickly, but nonetheless I was going to enjoy it. I had passed the point where I could think clearly, but I knew that there were two men and a woman of this exotic land ready to walk with me back to my ship, which would prove a wild enough time.

"I think it's time I took my leave, my loves," I call to my crew, standing shakily and drunkenly crawling across some of my members. "Come, my darlings, we have _things _to do. Many, many things to do." The three follow eagerly behind, just as drunk- if not more- than I was, haphazardly joining into my arms and at my waist, leaving hastily.

Once we were in the fresh, chilling air of the cold nights of Debal, I realize how much the temperature was sobering me up. Thankfully, I had plenty of hard liquor in my chambers that I would be guzzling once we arrive, but for now an uncontrollable heat was coming from the core of my body just thinking about how delightful my night would be.

One of the two men grabs me up, pinning me to a wall in the opening of a wide alley, beginning to rub against me and biting roughly at my neck. A loud moan is ushered, but a loud gunshot breaks me from my trance. The man holding me drops to the ground, barely allowing me to land on my heels and glare in the general direction. Standing before me was one of the most handsome men I had ever laid eyes upon, and dressed in similar colors as I wore. He held a smoking gun, smirking devilishly in my direction.

The other two that were with me stared in horror at the man on the ground, but I quickly send them towards the ship with a kiss and a lusty growl. The woman giggles, promising to grab another fellow on the way as she walks away with the delicious man, staggering towards the docks and following a crew member that was heading back for the ship.

"And who might you be?" I purr, stepping over the fallen body of my last potential conquest. "Obviously someone who thinks he is important, from how well you carry yourself, _pirate_." I casually stride forward, running a hand down his chest and stopping above his belt.

"You seem like an interesting character, my dear," he drawls in a refined, gentlemanly voice that was drenched in a delicious edge that made me want to crawl all over him. I refrain myself as he backs me up against a wall, which I allowed, and my heavy breathing causes our chests to meet repeatedly, signifying how close we were. "And what is your name, hmm?"

"I believe that is unnecessary until I receive yours, _my dear_," I mock, my hand tracing against the shell of his ear, the nails caressing it nimbly, expertly. A pout pulls across my red-painted lips, "How dare you go and kill off the delightful strumpet I was carrying with me back to my bed. Tisk, tisk!"

"Oh, will you scold me now?" He was closing in, and I felt a bulge against the apex of my legs as his body met my own. "I say, you certainly are a delightful little thing, aren't you? Not nearly as intoxicating as I'm sure you find me, of course, but nonetheless."

I realize just how far I was into the void, realizing I could barely control myself as my hormones raged. I slip away from him, deciding he was far too conceited for my liking, and I could barely deal with the high standards I held _myself _in. If he wanted it bad enough, he would have to simply wait until I was done with the other three- hopefully they found another dashing young lad to take back in place of the dead fellow- that were headed to my cabin.

"Sorry, love, but you'll have to wait until I have free time. It seems I have a gaggle of people waiting in my bed at the moment. I would offer you a place, but there simply isn't room," I lean up whispering in his ear, "But if you can find me tomorrow, we might be able to strike an accord, then? Ah, good bye, stud!" With this, I hurry towards the docks, nearly running with the need I felt.

Behind me, the man casually runs his hands through his hair, debating on shooting a leg to keep me from running. The bulging erection was nearly uncontrollable, and as much as he loved the chase, he would need to satiate it before securing his answers tomorrow, thus he returned to the pub.

Meanwhile, I was on the deck of the ship, ripping off my boots and whatever clothing I could while still in the open air. The clothes lay scattered, and by the time I made it to my door, I was stark naked. Luckily, so were the rest of the people in my chambers, which I noticed had been cleaned of anything valuable by a crewmember before I came home. They did that every time, which was a blessing considering I did not want whores stealing my things.

"Oh, shall we then?" I growl seductively, throwing myself into the fray of sweating Samarkands and immediately creating a noise I was sure the mainland could hear.


	5. V: The Infamous Reaver

**Chapter Five: The Infamous Reaver**

"HALE!" The scream rang across the entire deck of the ship, all turning to gaze at the door it came from. Moments later, I storm from the captain's quarters and onto the main deck, eyes blazing with the fury of the ocean. "HALE! GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE!" I rake my fingers through my unruly hair and try to adjust my haphazardly thrown on outfit.

My first mate is by my side in an instant, his eyes mischievous and an innocent smile playing across his thin lips. I growl, grabbing him by the front of his shirt and proceeding to shake the man, the strength of a hero showing ever-so slightly in the process. I would not pull my gun on him- I was not completely heartless and I knew I needed him aboard- but if he kept playing games I certainly would not hesitate.

"Just _where_ in the hell did all my goodies run off too, eh?" I snarl, fingers clenching terribly hard against his shirt, feeling the fabric trying to rip against the sharp nails. "Not only did I wake up alone, but I'm missing my entire stock of booze and all of my pipe tobacco. _My good booze and pipe tobacco, mind you!"_

"Oi, Capt'n!" He holds his hands up defensively, ushering me to release the firm grip on his shirt. "I sent off your consorts when they started poking around your cabin. Your booze was drank when you arrived back in your cabin, as we all heard, and you left your pipe tobacco at the pub last night and it was drenched in a runaway mug of beer, it was."

I groan, releasing the man and rubbing my hands across my tired face. My body ached, but I would not allow this fatigue to show in front of my men, especially not after the night I had. It had been beyond splendid, what I could remember that is. "And how much did you pay them, then?"

"Barely a thing, Capt'n," he informs with a laugh. "All three of the whores came out with a right wild grin 'pon their faces, they did. Said you were the best they'd had in a good while. Said they weren't going to charge you a silver coin, if not for it being their professions and all. I paid each a single gold piece, no worries love."

I feel a smirk slide across my face, ego growing steadily as he speaks, and then allow a boisterous laugh to come forth. "Well, I suppose I can't complain then. I want my booze restocked _immediately_, and only the good shit, and I need a smoke." He offers me his personal pipe, then calls my orders to the men. I exhale the decent tobacco, turning to look at him once more. "Have you heard word on this Reaver character yet?"

The two of us were walking back towards my cabin, and I take a seat upon the plush chair, glancing at the files my mother had given me about the artifact. I had yet to even touch them, to be quite honest, let alone look at them. Hale shakes his head in response to my question, rubbing his chin in thought.

"Haven't really tried yet, Capt'n. We immediately made port, toured the town for its goods, and then the night leaves little to be remembered. Sorry, love," he murmurs, glancing back up at me with his coal-colored eyes. He was mildly attractive with his dark, slicked back hair and skin that barely tanned, but not overly-so. Nothing like that dream of a pirate I saw last night. . .

"Well, nothing is easier for a woman than finding a man, especially pirate for pirate," I laugh heartily, tugging on my effects and wearing my lovely pirate attire, free of my cloak or hat. It did little to protect the heat, and even less for the sun with its black fabric. Once my normal array of jewelry is secured, heavy across my fingers and neck, the two of us head from the ship and down towards the town.

"I hear he is old, one of my mother's business associates from decades past, so look for a man with numerous wrinkles and hair that is a might bit too silver," I whisper, boots clicking against the cobblestone roads. "And he is a pirate, so I stand to wonder if he is a captain or a simple sailor. This leaves a broad spectrum, eh Hale?"

"Sorry love," he calls back to me, a look of disgust on his face. "I didn't hear much of that. There's a man staring us down, and I swear he blew me a kiss. Congratulations on your conquest of the lady-types on occasion, Capt'n, but I'm not one for peckers. Your game is considered sexy, the other an abomination." Hale's hand rested on his pistol, my eyes searching for the man he was speaking of.

I glimpse him walking down a back alley and almost immediately recognize him as the pirate from the previous night. A feral growl grows in the back of my throat, then turning to a grin as I make pursuit, running down the little alleyway with Hale struggling to keep up. Hero, remember? "Oh dear pirate, why do you flee from me? I simply have a few questions for you!" I call to the multitudes of alleyways, grinning wildly in my chase.

A moment later and my body is pinned to the wall, a pistol pointed at my forehead while another hand supported my rear, holding me up with my legs around my captor. I smile viciously at the handsome man from last night, my own pistol pointed at the back of his head, one hand roaming his hair.

"Aren't you a feisty little minx," he coos, cocking the hammer back on his gun while I do the same. "I will warn you, my dear, that I will not die so easily, should you decide it is in your best interest to pull that lovely trigger of yours. Now, shall we talk civilly or get straight to the romp, hmm?"

"You seem to be an intelligent enough man," I compliment truthfully, licking my plush pink lips. "I'm looking for someone, and I thought that one as _luscious_ as yourself could help me out, _in more ways than one_. Now how about we put down our pistols and talk as adults, shall we love?"

As a show of good faith, I lower my own weapon and holster it, holding my hands up and then allow him to drop me carefully to my feet, drawing his weapon to his own holster. Once his weapon is gone, I trace his chiseled chin with a single digit, biting my lower lip seductively. A growl sounds deep in the back of his throat, and moment later footsteps are heard running forward. Both of us pull our guns once more, aiming at our intruder, and a winded Hale appears around the corner. His hands go up, and I lower my weapon, snarling for my consort to do the same. The mystery pirate does not do so, instead pulling back the hammer and getting ready to shoot.

"Capt'n, I knew you liked them lively, but this bloke is aiming at the wrong man, if you get me drift lovey," Hale murmurs cautiously, not moving from the spot and breathing heavily to try and catch his second wind. "I'm on her team, my good man, and I would sorely appreciate that weapon there to get away from my head regions, yes."

"And why would I do that? I'm certainly not on this little vixen's _team_ as you put it," his eyes never leave my first mate as he now speaks in my direction, "And _Captain _is it? Oh, so many things I want to know of you, my pet. If I lower this gun, you stay right where you are and do not move an inch, understand?"

I swiftly agree, and I notice his pistol as it is placed within his thigh holster on his left side, signaling he was a left-handed shot. Not only that, but he carried a legendary _Dragonstomper .48_, the weapon I was told a certain man I was looking for carried.

"Hale, get out of here now." Once I am sure he has left, with proper reassurance that I would be perfectly fine, I turn back to the man before me. "What is your name, _pirate_, and where did you acquire a _Dragonstomper_?"

I expected surprise at my change of tone, my strange questions, but the man instead lets out a roaring bark of curt laughter, rounding on me once more. "I believe I will be asking the questions here, _Captain_, but how about we do so somewhere with more privacy." It was not asked, but instead instructed, and thus I followed the man, my thirst for knowledge not yet satiated.

I was escorted to a nearby brothel, which held no privacy in the prying ears of strumpets, but sat with him nonetheless. Two pints are brought forward, and I usher away the delectable desserts, also known as said strumpets, before the man decides to order food.

"Obviously you have not been in Debal for long, my dear, but I suggest you try the spiced fruits. Every woman's dream, if I do say so. Besides myself, of course," he lets out another laugh, trying to order my food for me before he is promptly stopped.

"I'll have a steak, cooked rare, and a plate of this spiced fruit for after," I call harshly, glaring at the conceited man before me. It was frightening, as if looking within a mirror of the opposite sex, but I held my ground nonetheless. "Now, answer my question, _love_," I sneer.

"Ah, but first you will tell me something," he leans forward. "Are you this mysterious _'Pirate Queen' _I've heard oh-so much about? The very same who is a fire both in and out of the sheets? You fit the matching description flawlessly, or from what I have learned."

"Oh, a compliment on my part! How nice," I grumble irritably, but then grow a grin the size of this continent. "Ah, I suppose my reputation has met Samarkand. Though they left out the part about how I disappeared all those years ago, only to find out I was stranded in the middle of the desert, where a group of mercenaries found me. Seems I forget to add the part where I took down the neighboring queen and founded a new pirate port." My laughter was maniacal, reliving a falsehood that had been given on my disappearance. Of course, none of this was true, yet many different rumors had surfaced of all sorts.

"Hmm," he scrutinizes me. "I highly doubt one such as you could take over a city. I thought it was a mob out in the desert of Aurora?" Again, I sneer at the thought and he brushes the look aside. "How did a woman come to know about _my_ _Dragonstomper_, hmm? You know, I own five of the six in existence. Had to _dispose _of some of the previous owners, but they were nothing but half-wits."

"Let's just say I know a lot about _Dragonstompers_," I scoff, shaking my head as the food arrives. I delicately sample the meat, the sirloin melting away on my tongue and filled with juices. It was delightful, the best cut of meat I had ever sampled. "Now, you answer my questions. I am looking for a man-"

"Unfortunately, I am not husband material, my little minx. Though, if you would enjoy a new romp, I'm certainly the right man," he chuckles, lusciously biting into his own steak, of the same state might I add, and careful to make sure the blood does not drip down his chin. He wipes at his mouth with a napkin, very unlike a pirate and much more like that of a refined gentleman.

"Allow me to finish if you are so inclined," I glare, waving my fork around apathetically. "He would probably be in his later days, nearly dead if not so already. Notorious, a criminal, and believed to be in Debal. He is ancient from what my m-. . . employer stated. I was ordered to retrieve him for matters of utmost importance in Albion."

"And what is in it for you then, woman?" The pirate indulges heavily in more drinks, though never seems to become intoxicated, making me wonder of either my sanity, his tolerance, or if he shared hero-blood as well. He was a pirate, after all, and was probably used to such high contents.

I lick my lips, pushing away the cleared steak and picking up a spiced apple slice, trailing the drizzled fruit around my bottom lip for his enjoyment. "Oh, merely something of great importance to me as well. Now, would you happen to know any man like this? I suspect him to be a lecher, considering he is a pirate, and a bastard as well."

He watched my every move with the fruit incident, though equally surprised me with the way he ate the succulent pastries. "And I would assume you would have a name for an old coot. What is a pretty little thing like you doing chasing the _elderly_? I suppose everyone has a fetish, though yours is quite disgusting."

Ignoring his jibe, I shrug and partake in more of the strange desserts. "The name I was given is an uncommon one, one you have probably never heard. If you have, it is easily forgettable. The man I am looking for is called _Reaver_, though I would assume it is a nickname. Silly, isn't it? I believe it should be ominous to some, but I think someone just had a really bad night and slurred it together."

His eyes narrow dangerously, hand going towards his pistol. Mine was out in a heartbeat, aimed directly at his head with his in the same position. Both hammers were cocked, and fingers twitching against the triggers. It was a rare sight, two _Dragonstompers _together in a fierce duel, either ready to end another life. Both had seen bloodshed and sent many to an early grave, though there were many more still to end.

"Oh my, now I know who you are," the man murmurs, a crooked smile on his lush lips. "The little princess who turned pirate under the will of her mother, and then was sent to a cell for so many years. Indeed, they called you the _Pirate Queen_, as I so recall. That gun tells it all. Though, I don't remember your name, despite how many times your mother told it to me."

"And yet I still do not know yours either, _wretch_, and why you hold the gun of the man I chase," I snarl in response. A stare-down commences, all in the bar staring at us with narrowed eyes and awaiting a brawl. Once a shot was fired, there was no stopping the masses and it would likely end in more than one death. Of course, I would not be amongst those in the afterlife, that I would make sure of.

"I am sure you have heard of me, _princess_," he chuckles, his voice lavish with that refinement most pirates did not carry. I was sure he had been a nobleman in his life at some point, if he still was not and just living a double persona. "I am this _Reaver_ you have been sent after. Now what is it you could _possibly _need with me, hmm?"

I gawk openly, then narrow my eyes dangerously at the men, my gun staying firmly in it's place. "There is no way you can be _Reaver_! I am searching for a man that has lived during my grandmother's time! The same man that was kicked out of the industrial business by my mother! The man I am searching for is _ancient_, to say the very least."

A story I was told in my childhood comes to mind, one my mother would often recite to me before I went to bed. Most would not have told their children of such dark deeds, worried on nightmares coming, but I was enthralled by the tales of adventure. One of which was of my grandmother's trip to a place called _The Shadow Court_, where she sacrificed her youth for a tyrant called _Reaver _and saved a young girl in the process. Of course, my grandmother Sparrow had also regained this youth from Avo himself, thanks to her hefty donations to the Temple before she even made it back to Bloodstone. Though, she was left with glowing white hair and demonic red eyes, which were passed down to my brother when it came to his hair.

"Never mind then," I scoff, lips turning up into a wild laugh. "You are the same man that has made a pact with _The Shadow Court_for eternal youth, am I right? No, I know I am right. Now, let us put our pistols down and I will go over something that the queen has asked me to bring up to enforce her will upon you, shall we?" My gun is lowered, though his stays in place while I eat some of the fruits before me, pretending it has disappeared.

"And what could the dearest queen Valentina want from me now? She declined my offer of a night she would never forget, and with her age I will not offer it again," he remarks, trying to make my blood boil. Unfortunately for him, I did not care about anything regarding my mother. "There is nothing she could say to make me want to help her now."

"Besides that she would tear down the one place you need the most in this world," I chuckle darkly, now realizing the very place she was speaking of. "I suppose she means the location of your demonic rituals, which she has left standing somewhere off in Albion. Wraithmarsh, I believe. Or could it be she is willing to make a pact with the court for your life, should you be disinclined to aid?"

His finger was ever steady on the trigger, and I felt ever closer to being shot dead within this pub in Debal. "And I suppose she offered you freedom in return? No matter. What is it the old hag wishes me to find now? She must be incapable with her growing age."

"No doubt. Thus why she has sent me, a young blood with nothing to lose besides my very life," I snort. "Why don't you accompany me back to my ship and we will discuss further from there, hmm?" The look that crossed my face at this moment could be considered provocative, though I barely meant it. Now that I found out _this _man bedded my grandmother and tried with my mother, I felt slightly sick to my stomach.

"Lead the way then, little minx. And don't try anything stupid, because I have shot lovelier women without a second glance," Reaver adds, placing a few coins on the table for our food. I did not thank him or even give him a smile for the gesture, but instead make my way from the shady little pub. "Hurry along princess. I don't have all day."

"The name is Alouette," I wave my hand behind me at him, sauntering towards the docks. "And I would not dream of it, dearest Reaver."

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**Author's Note: **Hope everyone liked the new chapter. I'll be putting up a series of Fable II and III and some relating to this story up soon. None of them have any relevance towards each other, so far. **REVIEW! OR THE DRAGONSTOMPERS WILL BE AIMED AT YOU!**


	6. VI: A Treasure of a Lifetime

**Author's Note: **Well, the Reaver story is coming along swimmingly, if I must say so myself. =3 Though I would love some more **REVIEWS** people! If you'd be so kind, just add a comment below. Even a small one. Just say what you think so far. K, thanks!

**RATED M FOR SEXUAL HAPPENINGS AND SO FORTH!**

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**Chapter Six: A Treasure of a Lifetime  
**

"How is it I always wind up in the most undermining of situations?" I question the air, glaring towards the starboard side of my ship from the deck. What greeted me was a ship of magnificent splendor, the crew bustling aboard and the captain leaning against the railing, giving me a profound smirk. "At least I have something decent to look at during the travels."

"Still ogling your partner in crime?" Hale, as always, was by my side and grinning pleasantly at my misfortunes, allowing me to pull at the lengths of hair around my face irritably. "You know mate, he is a right foul character. Watches you like a hawk, or a slithering snake."

"I would opt more for the snake, if I had the choice," I whisper, downing the rest of my imported bottle of rum and savoring the delicate taste of the wondrous fruit from Debal. We had left the delightful pirate port only a short week ago and had been on the lively seas since. "Though I would not consider myself the mouse, not by leagues."

Reaver had come back to my ship that fateful day and we had discussed throughout the later evening hours on our arrangements. Don't get funny ideas, because I did not fuck the man despite my urges. Unfortunately, the thought of bedding the same man that slept with my grandmother and tried with my mother was just a bit discouraging. Though I was unsure of whether or not my ideals would continue with the ravaging lust for him continuing to overwhelm my core.

He had at last agreed to accompany me on the quest of this little island off in the most horrid parts of the seas, places where pirates did not even dare to cross, for none had come back alive. We were looking for a treasure that was rumored to be the greatest of all the lands, left by the greatest pirate to sail the seas of Albion, Samarkand, Aurora, and all the world, Cutthroat King Camrond, a man that carried hero blood and yet fell by the hands of one with purer intentions. Though, I was unsure of this treasure, as was Reaver, and it's contents, but both of us were fueled by threats by the Queen of Albion.

"We have a lot of frightening things to face, of that I am certain," I call to my first mate, turning and sauntering into my room with him close behind. He shuts the door on my command, and I begin peeling off my tight clothing and standing nude before him. "Fortunately for you, my dear, I need a stress reliever. Strip down and get your ass over here."

"If that is my order, Capt'n," he remarks, his clothing falling quickly to the floor. He was on me in a moment, though I was more the type to take control in such a situation. His back hits the bed, and once I am sure he is plenty hard enough for the task, I plunge myself down upon him. Hale groans, a small noise coming from my lips, and soon we were full-speed into the forbidden act. "Oh, Capt'n!"

I do not call his name, too used to the act and worried more with my own personal pleasures. I did not care for his face, his name, or anything about the man in this moment, but instead about what _I received _out of it all. And my gift was the height of ecstasy, for Hale sported a member that could be considered legendary.

"Shut up and move faster!" I scream, riding him for all I am worth. My body twists in ways that most should not, angling myself for the best of all maneuvers. I feel him rake across the right spot, letting out a loud moan to signal he was finally hitting the appropriate place. I slam myself repeatedly in this spot, grabbing his hair and digging my nails into his flesh at the same moment. I was so close to my climax, and I needed the release to alleviate the stress that had been building with this week of traveling so close to a demi-god in the bedroom.

Right when I feel the endless build-up, ready to explode, the door to my cabin bursts open. I scream in agitation, not worrying to cover my breasts but shielding the parts of us that were merged. I do not move from my spot, moving my head around to glare at the intruder, snarling viciously.

"If I would have known I was going to interrupt such a momentous occasion, I would have certainly removed these at the door," Reaver regards, making himself comfortable in my lavish seat behind the desk. "You can finish up then, if you please. If not, then so be it."

Hale, whom had lost all his edge the moment he realized another man had entered the room, nearly screamed in protest when I was determined to finish what I had started. Another few bounces and my orgasm played out marvelously, screaming in satisfaction before crawling from the unsatisfied first mate, wrapping the sheets around me and padding across to the oriental blinds I had bought in Debal, changing into my usual attire after cleaning up. When I exited, Hale was dressed and leaving swiftly, slamming the door behind him in a rage. I would have to speak with him later, alleviate him if needed, but for now I was irritated even further at the man in my quarters.

"Do you have to choose the most inopportune moments to interrupt me?" I uncork a bottle nearest me, unaware of the contents, and down the alcohol fluidly.

**_-:.:(To The Age of Ages):.:-_**

_Reaver's Point of View  
First Persons_

I was bored of sailing alone, considering all female company had been left behind at port and I was once again stuck with the hideous masses of my crew. The lovely little vixen that was previously barking orders upon her own ship had disappeared into her quarters, and not even her attractive first mate was on deck.

Without further thought and deciding it best to try and find a good romp with the captain, despite my previous pursuit of the wild female, I take hold of a sturdy rope and effortlessly swing across the small expanse of ocean, landing easily on the deck of _The Ruthless Contessa. _After a few questions, I find out that the captain and first mate were in her cabin alone, and decided now was a perfect time for an unexpected visit.

Of course, I was not surprised to find the two in the middle of their own moment, but barge in nonetheless. Once my presence was acknowledged and a seat was taken behind her desk, my surprise was given upon realizing the woman indeed finished her act. An erection had grown deep within the front of my pants, and a smirk was offered once the man hurried from the room and the woman appeared dressed once more.

_'Well, aren't you just something,'_ I allow my thoughts to run rampant, imagining just how much of a spitfire she was in the sheets. It left little to be known of her _true _nature, despite what I had just witnessed, for the second party was not at all in the mood once I appeared and she merely finished what she had started.

"What do you want Reaver? I had better things to do, if you hadn't noticed," she calls, her voice barely above a whisper as she downs a massive portion of the bottle in her hands. I laugh, stepping forth and raking a hand across her exposed midsection. Oh, she was indeed a fine specimen. . .

"I can gladly assist, my little minx," I answer playfully, licking my lips at the notion. She rolls her eyes, moving to take a seat in her chair before I could claim the spot again. "I'm here to find a way to cure my growing sense of boredom. We will be sailing for at least another week before we hit interesting waters, I'm afraid, and now you have the task of dealing with me."

"Joy," she sighs, then leafs through a few papers scattered about on her desk. I watch her avidly, taking a new chair before the hardwood furniture, noticing the blood red across her fingernails. I had come to appreciate her style, even for a pirate queen, and how lavishly she carried herself. Of course, my favorite menagerie of colors suited her quite splendidly. "Here. Valentina is a real bitch when it comes to getting under my skin. I have not been able to decipher this coding for some time now, despite how many times I go over it."

I take the paper nimbly, eyes scanning over the strange assortment of words. The Hero Queen of Albion was certainly a pain when it came to riddles, though not nearly as close to that foul seer had been in my days of dealing with her. "I would be more interested in dealing with you, princess."

Before a witty retort could be offered on the subject, a loud call is heard from above deck. She pushes herself up hurriedly, running from the room with the clicking of well-placed heels. The woman's rear bounced deliciously in rhythm with her chest, I noticed, and I eagerly pursue the dashing little kitten.

"And what exactly is going on?" I murmur, coming beside her at the helm. A profound laugh crosses those painted red lips, sneering delightfully as if everything in the world was held within her slender digits.

"Seems it is time to properly showcase our prowess on the ocean, my lovely Reaver," she responds, twirling a lock of hair before pulling on her perfectly fitted hat. "Now, sit back and watch how it is _really done_."

_**-:.:(To The Age of Ages):.:-**_

_Alouette's Point of View  
First Persons_

I had acknowledged the countless, endless stares of my co-captain, though completely ignored him. I was busy doing what I did best; raiding a merchant ship for all it's worth. Of course, the battle was easily won with little fighting, and I had decided to allow a few innocent passengers to escape on lifeboats towards a nearby island. I was not completely heartless after all, just very hateful towards the world and all its inhabitants.

Now, a great celebration was being given for the men of my ship. I was enthralled with the massive haul of goods from our pirating, and decided to join in on the festivities. Only a few still worked, one of which was Hale at the helm. He was still agitated from earlier, and I did not feel like dealing with his pessimism tonight. Even part of Reaver's crew had come aboard to drink and feast upon our spoils, leaving only those needed to pilot his ship properly. Meaning Reaver had also decided to join in, which did not really bother me as long as he kept to himself.

"Capt'n!" I hear the jubilant calls of some of my men. "Come, join in for the right lovely dances! I know you got a bit of skill in those boots!" I laugh joyfully, ignoring the playful jibe and leaping forth without second thought.

The sounds around me were magnificent as some of the more talented crew members began to play some makeshift instruments lying about. I was passed a bottle and a small dose of opium, immediately partaking in both. The high was slow-coming, but substantial to my good time and merrymaking, as I immediately felt the world around me grow into something more beautiful than ever.

Of course, I meant the sea above all when I spoke of beauty, followed closely by the brilliance of the stars shining above. The night was still young, and I was not nearly too drunk or too far gone for a bed, and thus began spinning in dances with my crew, hair flying behind me.

"True beauty, you are love!" The man I was currently dancing with allows the compliment, and I do not recognize him from my crew. He was no doubt one of Reaver's men. . . "Dance like a goddess, I mean."

"Be careful who you try and flatter, pet," I smoothly answer, moving off to dance with another man nearby. A new bottle was passed off in my hands and before I knew it, the world was spinning from drunkness and the rapid movements of my jubilee. I would definitely feel this one in the morning hours. . .

"Drunk, are we?" Reaver now grabs my hands, twirling me around and leading me in an epic serenade. He too felt the effects of the alcohol, though not overly so. I nod, laughing joyously and allowing his flirting for this such occasion. "Now, would you like to go off to my chambers or yours then?"

"Au contraire," I purr, biting my lips and tossing the bottle over the ship to be swallowed by the lulling tides. "I do not feel up to a romp tonight, lovey. Much to do in the morning hours. Though, I'll certainly be up for a little tease, as always."

I grab him roughly by the hair, sinking my fingers into the tidy locks and tangling them instantly, lips crashing against his in a way that was indescribable. He responds immediately, his hands holding me tightly against his masculine physique and roaming like never before. His tongue enters without permission, rolling around expertly and exploring each corner of my mouth. I am pushed against the door to my cabin, and I nearly reach for the handle before my judgment gets the best of me.

"Ah, a tease you are, my Alouette," he coos, dubbing me _his _without proper inclination to do so. I do not correct him for the time being, and instead pull myself from his firm grasp, biting his lip gently as I do so. He growls, giving my ass a final squeeze as I head towards my room. "In due time, you'll come willingly. This, I promise. Tatty-bye!"

"We will see, indeed," I murmur, flipping my hair and adding an extra 'oomph' to my drunken saunter. He notices, adding a slap before he ambles away to whatever he decides is the best to do.


	7. VII: And So It Begins

**Author's Note: **A big thank you to chellcat for the first ever review. =3 I wish more people knew of the story too dear, but apparently no one wants to REVIEW THE DAMN THING. .* Bull. . . Anyways, here's the next chapter, though obviously no one cares to comment on how it's coming along so maybe I should just get rid of this story eh. -.- **R.E.V.I.E.W.**

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**Chapter Seven: And So It Begins**

It was just another lazy day upon _The Contessa_, and I had partaken in one of my more normal of pleasures: reading. During our last raid, without my crew knowing, I had seized a number of rare books headed for the academy at Brightwall, stowing them away in my quarters and finally filling up my mahogany bookshelf to the brim. On a day like this, I had taken to lying around in less-fitted clothing, substituting them for a pair of breeches and a cloth shirt, hair pulled into a high ponytail instead of the normal band around the ends. All my jewelry was secured on my fingers, for it had been a good few weeks since they had been taken off for anything more than a proper cleaning.

Tomorrow, we would be nearing the edge of the forbidden seas, but had made port and left yesterday to resupply for the journey. It had also been a decent way to satisfy Reaver's growing lust and kept him properly off my back for the time being. Of course, I had partaken in my own sins, but that was beside the point.

I held a book in my hands, skimming through the novel tiredly and picking up a new one to satiate the hunger for knowledge. It was worn, aged beyond its years, but interested me in some form, for I had never heard of it. It seemed to be a diary of some sorts, and was wrapped in finer cloth than all the others. With a grand smile, I flip open the first page and slowly begin reading. Nothing of real interest, honestly, until I see the signature at the bottom of the page.

_Sparrow_.

"This cannot be," I whisper hotly, though could see how each word was hand-written by a quill and ink. "I could not have been so lucky as to run across the long lost diary of my grandmother! What a rare treat indeed, and what my mother would not give to have such a treasure!" Even if the artifact my mother did not want recovered was nothing more than a trinket lost in time, this certainly would make up for the trip. Well, I lie. I would be highly irritated at risking the lives of my good men and aboard my ship for something of no worth, but at least I had a consolation prize.

I begin heavily reading the diary, enthralled by her tales of trying to find the three missing heroes of Will, Skill, and Strength, along with the wicked creatures she happened across, such as the dreaded balverines. Hours had passed, and at last I was reading of the tales of the Tattered Spire, a relic of the past and a great evil that had been destroyed from the stories of when Sparrow took the throne of Fairfax. It was during these tales that I slowly drifted into a deep sleep, yet did not realize such things.

_**-:.:( To the Age of Ages ):.:-**_

_Dream Sequence_

The halls were cold, chilling down to the very heart, and I looked down upon myself to realize I was in the uniform of a guard, hair hidden beneath a hat and watching all the guards passing by without little notice of me. Was I truly within the Spire?

A woman passes by me, the look of determination barely gleaming in her beautiful blue eyes, the color of the seas, with a stubble of hair as red as blood. It was almost like doing a double-take, for she looked to be a manlier version of myself. I could not resist following her as she hurries to a secluded room near the top of the devilish structure, and see a frightening man waiting for her. He did not acknowledge me, so I wondered if I was just a ghost of a memory past. Nevertheless, I watched as the woman was ordered to kill a delusional man upon the ground, and she refused to do so. Instead, she turned the blade on the other, though managed nothing more than a small flesh wound before she was on the ground, writhing in pain from an odd piece she wore.

"What is going on?" I whisper to myself as she is taken from the room by many guards, man-handled like never before, hearing the order to rid her of the little hair that had grown. "I am so utterly confused. Is this my grandmother? She looks as the pictures depict her in the early years of her hero-hood."

My questions are not left unanswered, for the room grows an ethereal glow, the swirling of shades of white erupting as a new figure appears. She was another I had seen in paintings my mother had drawn, though never had a name been given or a story behind the woman. I supposed she was nothing more than an image that had come within a dream or a moment of stupor, but said theories were dashed at her appearance.

"Hello there, little hero," the mysterious woman calls to me, a hood of red covering the majority of her face. "It is time you know your destiny at long last. I am Theresa, and I am known from generations of your family, of your blood. Something you carry that your brother does not, and you mother is soon to extinguish in herself."

"Theresa?" I murmur, walking forward, now realizing I was in my normal pirate regalia, hat and coat included. I pay no mind to the switch, feeling things were more important than being startled at a change of clothing. "I have only heard of an ancestor of mine with a sister by this name. Are you she? Where am I and what is going on?"

She laughs lightly, stepping forward and now within a few feet of me. I felt power radiating off her, though nothing like that of a hero and more like that of the universe. It was calming, frightening, sickening, and relaxing all in the same moment, causing a whirlwind of emotions I did not know I possessed any longer.

"Things have been set into motion, dear Alouette," Theresa hums, her voice like that of many others, speaking in chorus with the woman. "I am a seer, a guide of heroes, and so is my destiny for the rest of time, so long as a hero is needed in the world of Albion and all those to come in later dynasties. Now, I come to you to aid in your quest."

"I am merely searching for a treasure for my bitch of a mother! Nothing more!" I sounded desperate, yet fueled with anger as I spoke. The hatred of my parentage was triple-fold in this place, and it tried to consume me. "Just let me go from here and I swear I will not go absolutely stark-mad!"

"Ah," she laughs again, the sound comforting to my ears and reminding me of how I loved my birthright when I was a child. I shake the feeling from my head and glare. "You are filled with hatred for something you do not know of, little one. A third of your life was wasted in a cell, and yet you were released on a task that Valentina could have easily done herself. Have you never thought of this?"

"Of course not! The woman is aged beyond her prime and can barely maneuver as is!" I holler, feeling the rage bubbling within. "Why would someone lock me in a cell in the first place if she loved me as she says? It's completely lunacy of an aging slag!"

Theresa folds her hands together and a myriad of images play behind her, showing my mother and the same seer speaking before my imprisonment. "I came forth and gave your mother the go to put you in such a place, little hero. Without your time there, your will to live would have been nothing in this current time. You would have been a brute, a murderer beyond what you have become, and would have tried to destroy Albion in pursuit of power. Now that you have realized the value of your life and your freedom, you now possess the mental capabilities to become the hero that Albion now needs."

"YOU!" I point heatedly at the illusion, feeling invisible restraints keeping me from harming the woman. "I WAS LOCKED IN A DUNGEON FOR SO MANY YEARS BECAUSE OF YOU?" I was beyond angry, and despite the calming effects of her voice, the feelings did not dissipate from my forefront.

"You may take my actions as you please, but know it was for your own good," Theresa continues, ignoring my outburst and still speaking in her lavish tongue. "Soon, a new threat will be upon us, one that only a hero can stop. Your brother does not have the capability to awaken his blood, but you do. The fate of the world rests in your hands, the Pirate Hero of all of Albion. This is the mission you currently go on, and one that will truly remind you of your heritage."

I was fuming, feeling the hairs on the back of my neck bristle with the hatred that sparked in my very bones. I was no hero of anything, for I could not even awaken Will, which was apparently my mother's strong suit. Yes, I had Strength and Skill, in more ways than one, but Will was definitely out of the question. The few occurrences I might have had with the power were vague and almost unworthy of being spoken of.

"Ah, you realize this," she purrs, her voice calming down my rage a bit. "Your Will is not strong yet, for you have not awakened it, but you have shown signs of it. Your mother also locked you up to avoid things getting out of hand, using your powers for more harm than good." I could not see her logic right now, despite how calming the woman tried to be, but would think more on it later. "The object you search for is mere legend, but do not fall to the worry of its existence. It is imperative you locate it, to defeat the legendary darkness that threatens to take over Albion."

"What is it I search for exactly? My mother's notes were not specific, just detailed certain aspects of it!" I was screaming, I knew it, and felt a fresh trail of tears prickle at my eyes. "And what do you mean by what you said earlier? Is she dying or something?"

"All will be known in time, my child, but you must follow your heart to find this special treasure," her voice was even quieter than before, as if she was fading. "Reaver will be your greatest ally and so much more. You are so much like Sparrow, it is uncanny. Things will prove themselves to you in time, and I wish you luck in discovering how your grandmother felt for the pirate. Albion is in your hands, and the throne is waiting for its proper heir."

An image plays behind her the nation in ruins, and as much as I despise my mother, I did give half a care for the people, a feeling that always hid deep inside of me. I could see torment, agony, and all the torture of the people in a fleeting moment, the tears spilling heavily down my cheeks by this point. What was going on? "Please, stop these images!"

The images play out a few more minutes, what felt like eternity in my eyes, and soon Theresa disbands them. "This is the fate of the world. The seas will overtake all of the land, and despite how much you love the waters, they are nothing without ports for pirates. Remember, stay close to your allies and they will keep you safe. Hale is one you must remember as well, for he is an amazing asset to your pursuit. Though, do not let your feelings grow for him."

I now could see him and Reaver facing off at a grand ball, dressed for such an occasion and wielding weapons towards the other. In each instant, I saw either on the ground, dying while the other hovers over them and my heart begins to beat rapidly. I did not care for Reaver at this time, but losing Hale would be detrimental to my cause. "But I do not love either! Why show me this?"

"Because you will realize in time," she continues to speak in riddles. "If you do not realize this, your life will fall to pieces. Do not lead on those that could aid you, or those that will one day assert themselves to you. Find the treasure and remember your ways, little hero, for you are all that stands between Albion and its destruction. Should you choose the wrong path, you will be swept away in the tides of fate and all will fall to ruin. I must go now, my child, but you must make your decisions based from your heart, not the ideas of others. Many will come to try and lead you astray, but all of your life from this point on, and those of the masses, are in your hands. Good bye, and good luck."

"Wait! Theresa. . .!"

_End Dream Sequence_

_**-:.:( To the Age of Ages ):.:-**_

I awoke, screaming with tears streaming down my face. The door to my cabin bursts open and Hale runs in, followed by a few of my loyal men. I try to steady my breathing, feeling a panic attack coming on, and hurry to extinguish it before it overwhelmed me. "GET OUT! NOW!"

The men hurry to leave the room, leaving Hale and myself alone in my quarters. I calm myself down substantially, glaring at him for not taking my order. He sighs, coming closer and picking up the book I had in my clenched hands, knuckles turning white and putting dents in the aging pages. He skims over, surprise growing on his face before placing his gaze on me.

"Is this your grandmother's journal, Capt'n?" I nod in response, the man carefully placing it face-down on the desk. "What is this, then eh?" And now the man thumbs up a letter that I had not seen previously. The mark of the seer was on it, or so I assumed, and I recognized the envelope as that of the desk of the royal family of Albion. "Haven't given it a looksies yet, lovey?"

"Hale, get out. I have no idea where this came from and I want some privacy," I bark, ripping the letter from his hands and watching as he leaves the room. Once the door is firmly shut, I tear the letter open as gently as I could with my shaking hands, and unfold the piece of parchment. I had no doubt that Theresa had delivered this, though I was unsure of how seeing as I was in a dream state the entire conversation. Had it really been a dream. . .?

_Dear Sister,  
I'm afraid I have ill news, and despite that you do not care for her, I would like to inform you immediately. Our mother has fallen gravely ill, and she requests that I do not tell you. Fortunately, I do not always listen, a trait I picked up from you._

_She has come down with a sickness of an aging hero, from what I assume, for the doctors cannot treat it properly. I am unsure how this will get delivered to you, but the son of a man named Jasper said he would get it to you post haste. Anyways, please do not grieve and continue on your journey for whatever it is you are searching for. In the meantime, I have begun to heavily take into the studies on becoming King, a spot I do not wish for but has been thrust upon me._

_Once you are close enough to Albion, please come and speak with me on matters of upmost importance. I fear I do not have any friends in this world, and that you might be the only one that I could speak to openly without having my business spread like wildfire. I know you do not care for our mother, but know that I still love you and care for you._

_With mother dying, time is of the essence. I beg you to hurry your trip along and get back home, for I need you here. I have missed you all these years, and if things do not pick up soon for our mother, I fear I will be alone again and have the weight of millions on my shoulders, if not more than that._

_Sincerely Yours,_  
_Deryn_

_Prince of Albion_

I scoff, shoving the letter in a drawer and ignoring such folly. I would not be writing him back, not only because I could not get it to him but because I was sick of dealing with important matters at the moment. So what if my mother was dying. . . Wait, this is exactly what Theresa had mentioned only minutes ago. I sigh heavily, feeling the same weight of my decisions bearing heavy against my shoulders and yearning for release.

"Nothing better than to drown my troubles, I suppose," I growl, ripping the cork off a bottle nearby, downing the rum in a swift go. I snatch up another, allowing this one to work its way down a little easier, then stumble towards my bed. Tomorrow, I would be at the helm and controlling the ship through raging waters and supposed monsters, and for now I needed my rest.

Just what in the hell had I gotten myself into?

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**Author's Note: **Must I really go over this again? See that pretty little box below here? Well, it's a COMMENT/REVIEW box. Take two minutes out of your busy day and leave a damned review, would you? It's getting old, truly. **R.E.V.I.E.W.**


	8. VIII: The Seas of Erytheia

**Author's Note: **Big thank you to Wolf2008 for her review! I'm glad you enjoy Alouette so much dear! She's one of my favorite protagonists I have written about so far. I believe there are too many unbelievable OC's in the Fable world, mainly because- as you said- they are all goody-goodys. Why not make a dastardly heroine? Besides, bad girls have more fun, am I right? ;] **REVIEW PEOPLE!**

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**Chapter Eight: The Seas of Erytheia**

"Capt'n! We are close to losing men!" I hear the call through the harsh winds, rain pelting heavily against my coat. Fear did not consume me at the monsoon that our ship had been washed into, and I could now see that Reaver was at his own helm, heavily concentrated on the storm. "Capt'n!"

"The rest is up to me, Mr. Corrigan!" I scream back, never moving my eyes from the raging waters. "Have everyone tie the lifelines and double check them at once! We might very well be nearing the worst of it!"

My heart was indeed racing, but I did not let it overwhelm me, knowing if such a thing occurred we would be lost for Avo knows how long. The sails were no longer loose, tied firmly and secured in case of tearing from the deadly monsoon. I had been sailing close to Reaver for some time now, the two of us showing our prowess as King and Queen of the pirating world, navigating flawlessly and careful of damaging our vessels.

"Reaver! I believe I see a break in the winds!" I holler across the expanse to him, hoping he would hear me. He nods, giving me a dashing smirk before steering into the heart of the storm. I stare in sheer terror, but decide I would not be outdone by the foolish man and follow suit. We would be sailing into harder territory, but if he believed it was the right thing to do, then so be it. He had been sailing for centuries longer than I had, and now would be the best time to listen to him.

He leads us through a whirlwind of waters, angrily crashing against the sides of my ship, and then push further against the torrent towards what seemed to be steadier tides. I had not realized how the time had flown by, but was sure it had been at least a few hours within this torment. Reaver, surprisingly, knew what he was doing, for a short hour later control was becoming steadier on the helm. The rains were still overbearing, but I pushed through with all that I had within me.

I felt the growing pains of fatigue and hunger pulling at my stomach, making me wonder if it had been days within this damned monsoon. I had never experienced such a storm, not even the one on the way to Debal, and worried for the sake of my ship and my crew. Once I feel things were easing up, at last the rains slowing to a lighter downpour, I feel my body scream for release. I was exhausted, and turn to my Aurora-native nearby, calling him forward.

"Shaei, are you capable of taking the helm while I rest?" I murmur, groaning at the pressure on my limbs, fingers still glued to the helm. He nods, his bald head and cranium tattoos shining with the heavy washing it just received. In any other circumstance, I might have laughed, but for now I was busy trying to amble my way down the stairs and into my cabin.

I peel off the layers of clothing, opting to wrap myself in a thick robe that would ward off the cold and soak up the excess water in my skin, and then sit at the maps near my desk. I pull a few dried meats from a cabinet nearby, hungrily diving into the foods and finishing it with some rich fruit drink. Despite how exhausted I was, I would need to stay awake to try and find my heading. If only Reaver would be here, I was sure he could help.

My prayers were answered and soon, the pirate saunters in, still in his soaked attire. He sees another robe hanging nearby, and without asking strips down to nothing and pulls it on, tossing his wet clothing near the fire I had struck up. Wordlessly, I offer him some of the food and juice, allowing the pirate to stuff himself in a way that only a gentleman could pull off. It was slightly sickening, to be honest, that he could still look so delicious while scarfing down food in a refined sort of way. Could that be an oxymoron? Hmm. . .

"We need a heading," I at last call, once I was sure he was finished and passing off a bottle of light wine to the man. He takes a generous drink out of it, and we in turn pass it back and forth when the other reaches for it. It was one of the few moments I actually did not mind the man, though I was sure he was just as tired from the last few days of sailing. "I believe the treasure to be on an island out in the middle of this graveyard of ships, right here." I jab my nail at a little speck on the map, an island that was nothing more than a rumor.

"We have just passed here," he motions towards an area that sported heavy clouds and the look of storms on the paper. "The Seas of Erytheia should be our current location, pet. I believe in this area." Once I agree with the spot, he continues. "Now, we must pass through the _real _graveyard of ships, and be wary of the bothersome demons that supposedly guard this place."

"I am surprised you've never been, what with the length of your life so far," I chuckle, leaning my head against my palm, elbow up. "Tell me Reaver, without trying to bed me or seduce me in any fashion," he offers a wild grin, which I quickly continue before he can make a comment, "What is it like to be immortal? I'm sure it grows tiresome."

"Not at all, my dear," he chuckles, running his fingers through his wet locks. "I am rich, powerful, renowned, beautiful, and skilled in everything I do thanks to my eternal life. I have never been weary of the thought that I will live forever. I take it in strides."

Another dose of questions plagued my mind, but before I ask, I peer my head out the door and shout the command on our heading, ordering them to tell Reaver's helmsman as well before returning to my warmed quarters. "Do you mind the questions, then? I have many to ask of them."

Reaver gives off that smile that made my insides melt, cursing myself for being in the presence of such a man as attractive as him without deeper intentions swimming to mind. I needed to know some things before I whole-heartedly listened to the murmurs of Theresa, and yet I feared he would not be truthful.

"Ask away, my lovely little princess. I have a few things I want to know of you, though I'm sure your exploits are nothing compared to my own," he chuckles. I ignore his rudeness and the arrogance that clouded him, now turning to my own sundries.

"I want to ask you of Sparrow, honestly," I recall, knowing I would reach her entries of him in the diary. I wanted his insight beforehand though, for my own misgivings. "I do not really remember her, for I was just a babe when she passed. I know you two have a past, at least in the bedroom from what I have learned, and I just wish to know more of her."

Reaver ponders the question over for a moment, wondering what he could gain from this. I pull out a bottle of my finest drink, offering the peace giving to him. He takes it, mulls over the gift for a moment, before uncorking and pouring two glasses of the intoxicating beverage. He hands me a glass, showing he did have a few decent bones in his body, before beginning his short tale.

"There is not much to tell on dearest Sparrow that you probably do not know," he remarks. "She was a selfless creature who sacrificed gold and the life of a pet for the sake of all those that died in Albion during the time of the Spire. You remind me of her in many ways, though most of all her looks. I'm sure you have heard the tales of her trip to the _Shadow Court_, no?" I nod, though urge him to go deeper. "Apparently Avo had a higher wish for her, the fool, for instead of returning as a dilapidated old hag, she returned twice as stunning as ever before, despite sacrificing herself for some little youth that wandered in on the ordeal."

"So it is true that she really did give up her youth and half her life for some girl she did not know?" I was in awe, for I doubted I would make the same decision. I cared a lot for my youth, my beauty, and the thought of selflessly sacrificing it was nearly moronic, to say the least. "That is why I remember her with white hair and stunning red eyes, yes?"

"A spry creature, I daresay," Reaver adds. "Despite how many times I tried to veer from her quest of the greater good, she always found a way to reel me back in, whether I wanted to or not. She is the reason you possess that weapon of yours, which I will remove from you one day to complete my collection."

"We will see on that one, love," I chuckle, the noise heavy in my throat from the rains and the cold. "You cared for her didn't you? The way you speak of her so highly gives me this impression." I had not expected him to laugh outwardly at this notion, but the pirate surprises me.

"I care only for myself, pet. She was nothing more than a means to an end in my book, the minx," he allows his chuckling to die out. I felt as if he was lying, but did not press further. All would be revealed in later times. "I suppose you want to know if I have ever loved. Unfortunately, you will not hear the tale of my past before Reaver, so do not ask."

I shrug, then sigh in response. Something deeper was bothering me, and I voice it without a second thought, "And do you know who Theresa is, Reaver?"

He stiffens immediately, and I see his eyes narrow into slits. "How do you know of the witch? Do not tell me she has come to you as well. If so, you're life just got a lot shorter, I'm afraid." His hand twitches towards his gun, and I wave him off without a thought.

"Calm down. Yes, the woman has come to me, but I figured her to be a figment of my subconscious. She told me of terrible things to come, and that my mission is something of greater importance than what the old hag of a queen has mentioned," I growl, shaking my head to rid thoughts of my mother and the things she deserved. "Something she told me has been bothering me though. She said I was locked up for a reason, and I know you were an advisor of my bitch mother during part of my imprisonment. Do you know anything more?"

"We did not go into detail on your lack of freedom, princess," Reaver scoffs. "I offered your bail, but she refused. Something about how _'it was destiny' _and so forth."

This took me by surprise more than anything he had said thus far. "Why would you offer up my bail, eh? I know of your selfish ways, and what could have been to gain by that hmm?"

Reaver gives that delicious smirk once more, "What better way to gain something than the loyalty of a princess, one as ruthless as I? Besides, I have plenty of gold to do with as I please. The enormous bail on your freedom would have been barely a small dent in my wealth. With your hatred of the queen, and knowing I was soon to lose my place as the industry tycoon, someone that might hold sway over the ruler of Albion would have been a worthy bet."

"Ah, I see what you have to gain then," I roll my eyes, thinking that there might be more good in him than I expected. Obviously, I was wrong. "About Theresa, do you believe she is right in the coming of an apocalypse? I do not have any previous dealings with the seer, but something about her grabbed a grip on my heart, as if I was truly afraid."

"I will say this much on the witch, she has not been wrong yet," he scoffs, his arrogance shining through and through. "Of course, what do I know on the woman? I only met her on a few occasions, and have been glad to be rid of her since. I believe my last encounter with her was alongside Sparrow herself. It was many, many decades ago I'm afraid, and I barely recall the things she sputtered on about." Reaver glances me over, seeing the fatigue wearing in my dulling eyes. I was truly exhausted, but I needed to know more. "I believe you should get to rest, my pet. Many things might happen in the next few days."

"I need to know more," I whisper with a yawn. I felt the weight of the world bearing down on me once more, adding to my sleep-depravation. "Tell me of immortality more, if you would. I know you have lived many full lives of debauchery, and it sounds tantalizing if I must say so."

"Very well," Reaver chuckles, and I notice how empty the bottle of wine had gotten and how very much we had consumed. With the copious amounts of liquor I had been consuming over the last few days at the helm, I was surprised I was not piss drunk by now. "I will tell you the story of Bloodstone and how it was back when brothels were prominent and the port was more than a stop for merchants."

_**-:.:( To The Age of Ages ):.:-**_

_Reaver's Point of View  
First Persons_

I had been telling Alouette- I believe that was her name- of the countless voyages of _The Reaver _and _The Reaver II_, my darling ships, and of the things I had dealt with in this life. She had been expertly keeping her eyes open, trying to fight off the wearing sleep for many hours, night growing steadily through the windows from the few breaks in the clouds from the bay windows. Her questions were few, though calculated when needed, and she seemed truly enthralled at the tales of an old pirateer.

She had supplemented a few tales of her deeds, some of which were undermined by the queen, before her imprisonment, and I had actually listened to the woman. Her likeness to Sparrow was uncanny, and despite how marvelously _good_ her grandmother had turned out in the end, she was more like her than she believed. Sparrow had been a fool to choose a life of good, and I had known her when she was not afraid to slay those in her way and make pacts with darker forces. In the end, all of her shadowed nature had been erased and replaced by the greater good, which shined through on few occasions. For instance, her trip to the _Shadow Court_, where she had given up her youth for another, though had retained it once more by the will of Avo himself.

"Alouette?" I break my thoughts, finishing up a final tale and seeing the woman face-down on the desk, hair splayed about her. Oh yes, the hair the color of blood, of fire almost, and eyes that reflected the seas as her grandmother's did. She was a mirror image of Sparrow, though performed dirtier deeds on more numerous occasions. "Hmm, I suppose you were much more tired than you believed, little hero."

I chuckle, deciding whether or not to move the woman or let her sleep where she happened to pass out. Deciding that she deserved it after listening to all of my tales with such a fervor, I gently pick up the dashing beauty from her chair and move her to the bed. I try to lie her down without waking her or moving the woman too much, and before I can turn to head back to my own cabin on my ship- there was no point in having my way with a woman that would not remember it- her arms wrap around my waist in a heroes grip.

"Don't. . . go. . ." she murmurs in her sleep, and I glare at the woman once more, reaching for my gun. A fleeting thought hits me, and I disregard the idea of shooting the princess. A heavy sigh falls from my mouth, and I grow a formidable smirk upon my perfect lips.

"Well, if you insist then, little minx," I coo, slipping underneath the expensive sheets that were most likely well broken in. She conforms to me hence forth, arms locking tightly across my chest. I narrow my eyes nonetheless, pulling her close and placing my head against her hair. It was an intimate moment that I was _forced _into, one I had not shared in many decades.

Her hair smelt of the sea, salty but with a crisp edge that was almost exotic. I had never breathed something like it, and reveled in the aroma far longer than I should have. It was invigorating and relaxing all in one go, and I chose to enjoy it before the woman woke up and tried to murder me. Despite her resemblances to the long lost Sparrow, she was so very different, even in her scent. I do recall her grandmother's to be more of a light aroma, like that of flowers in the gardens of the castle of Fairfax so many years ago, now that castle of Bowerstone.

"Hmm, maybe this whole ordeal can work in my favor after all," I murmur, thoughts of how I could ravel this creature into my sheets unfolding. I was sure she would be a spitfire in bed, and had been wanting to test it since I had heard the legends of her. Of course, what better person to captivate such a siren than the greatest pirate to ever live, hmm?

"You just wait, little hero, and you'll be begging for me," I sigh, falling into my own sleep. That night, I was plagued with memories of my past and of the seer, some of Sparrow, and even the thoughts of what my life was like as Aaron. Just what did this Alouette bring about in me that could make things so startling, even in my dreams? I would have to follow things in time, I suppose.

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**Author's Note: **_Erytheia _is an actual island from Greek folklore, if you did not know. Oh, and another thing I left out ages ago, but Debal is another place from ancient times. If you did not know, Samarkand is supposedly like ancient China and the Silk Road, for it is an actual stop along the way. Thus, so is Debal (and Muskhan, though it was only mentioned in passing), which is where I brought up the town. I tried to describe their culture like that of the ancient Chinese, but with a Fable twist about it. I hope you have enjoyed so far!

**REVIEW!**


	9. IX: Pirate Graveyard

**Author's Note: **Hardly anyone wants to review. Really? I mean, as many times as I get 'favorited' or put on someone's 'story or author alert' after each chapter, you would think some of you would actually put in the extra effort. It is infuriating. I review EVERY story I read and enjoy, and you cannot even leave a one sentence comment saying, 'Great job! Keep up the good work!'. No. Lazy. Absolutely lazy. To the few of you those HAVE sent me a review, it is appreciated. Everyone else, well I'm sorely irritated at the moment so come talk to me later.

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**Chapter Nine: Pirate Graveyard**

The following morning, I peel my eyes open to the sound of an ominous scream, the scent of death in the air with a mist that leaked into my quarters. The noise woke the person beside me, and I strained to remember what I had done before heading to bed. I could not remember a romp, and then turned to man beside me with my eyes wide.

The two of us were still wearing the thick robes, and I nearly give forth my own holler when I realize it was none other than _Reaver _that was slowly opening his eyes beside me. He smirks, clinging to me tighter before I push him off. Without thinking, I leap from the bed and glare, checking to see if I had been fucked the previous night. Fortunately, no I had not been, which made me wonder why in the hell Reaver was under my sheets with me, sleeping the night away. And I voiced such concerns.

"You merely fell asleep and when I tried to deposit you to your bed and be on my merry way, you refused to let go," he smirks. "I know I am a handsome devil, and apparently you were all ready to keep me next to you during the night."

"Just shut up and get dressed," I growl, grabbing my dried clothing and pulling them on behind my standing blinds. My hair is haphazardly brushed before I exit, pulling the ends into their usual ponytail, and I find Reaver dressed and waiting for me. The two of us leave the cabin, finding ourselves on deck in an ominous sort of greenish fog, which made me sick from the stench of it. "I suppose we are in this _pirate graveyard_, as you mentioned," I ask the man beside me.

"Hmm, seems as if the rumors were true," he chuckles. I felt a deep pressure of dread upon me, and Reaver did not fail to notice my shuddering. "Relax love, we only have a few more hours to go until we reach the island."

"Without interruptions, that is." I run my fingers through my hair, pulling out the tangles. Charles comes running forth, waving his arms frantically and pointing in the distance. "Well, what it is mate?"

"Something has been spotted in the mists, Captain," he murmurs, allowing me to follow after him. When I arrive at the helm, I notice something moving further away from us, atop a half-sunken ship. The waters must not have been very deep in this area, or perhaps it had fallen against a rock within the sea. "Do you see it?"

"It's disappeared into the ocean, I'm afraid," I answer as I notice the small splash. Things were definitely amiss here, and I was surprised Reaver had not taken flight back to his own vessel. "Why is it you stay here when things look so downcast, Reaver?"

"I suppose I simply don't feel like it," he shrugs, hand on his gun as he kept an eye at the sea. A haunting song begins, and I do nothing more than raise a brow. "Oh. What is that _enchanting _melody?"

All of the men aboard the deck on both ships stop what they are doing, floating closer to the railing. I blink, confused at what was going on, before pushing my way to the side of my vessel to find out what they could be so entranced by. I heard the music, but nothing was so appealing to me of the noise. What I see makes my blood run cold.

A small gathering of women were seated upon an outcropping of rock, a very miniature island, and what was so astounding was not the voice that they called out with, but instead the fish-like tails they sported. All of the six ladies were beautiful beyond words, and I shake my head at how easily the men could get distracted.

"Back to your posts," I scream. "We have better things to do than ogle the strange creatures of this land!" Usually, when I call an order forth, all rush to do my bidding in fear that they would meet the business end of my beloved pistol. This was not one of those occasions, for even Hale and Charles did not budge from their spots. "What is going on?"

I hear a resounding splash from the ship beside me, finding one of the men had dove into the murky depths. All six of the sea creatures place their eyes on him, smirking within their song as the voices grow louder and more piercing. Curiously, I follow the man with my eyes, before another of the creatures appears from the sea, caressing him before massive teeth appear. He does not even give a shout of protest as her fangs dive into him, ripping him into little pieces with claws and teeth. A gasp comes forth, and I hurry over to the only three men I was worried about overall.

"Hale! Snap out of it!" I shake him violently, then turn to Charles and punch him in the arm. Nothing. Spinning around, I face Reaver, and though I would wonder why I was so worried for him later, my hands reaches out and slaps him hard across his chiseled cheek. "Reaver! What in the hell is wrong with you?"

The song of the sirens, I realize at long last, for my mother had told me the myths when I was a babe. I believed them to be folly, and only now did I assume the danger in their voices. A few more men from both our crews leap overboard, and soon Reaver was nearest the rails. I scream, hitting him again, before I whip out my gun and expertly shoot one of the six women in the head.

The response was immediate as the other five hiss and snarl, the song breaking and the spell temporarily broken. The men in the water that had not been consumed yet holler in agony, ripped beneath the sea and replaced with inky spots of blood against the black ocean. I snatch the helm, turning it away from the rocks, and push my vessel into Reaver's to keep it from falling to the depths. Why was I being so selfless?

"Damn it all to hell! First monsoons that rival Skorm, and now _sirens_! What in the world could possibly try to kill me next?" I belt out, shooting another of the women before they begin their song. Unfortunately, more join in and it does not create the previous spell, which was still slowly wearing off of the men. Instead, they were horrifying noises, ones that chilled me to the very core.

What happens next, I would have never dreamed possible in all my years. Giant tentacles emerge from the waters and wrap around Reaver's ship. The few coherent men onboard the vessel quickly transport to mine via ropes, but the rest were not so lucky. The ship cracks and groans before breaking into rifts and pulling the remaining men into the water.

"For the love of Avo!" I glower, punching the nearest man in the face to recuperate him further upon the deck. "EVERYONE GET THE HELL UP BEFORE I START SHOOTING EVERY LAST DAMN ONE OF YOU!" The spell was broken, and all the males aboard stare at me. "Get to your posts! We have already lost one vessel and I will be _damned _if mine goes under as well!"

That got them moving, now noticing the remains of _The Reaver II _sinking to the oceans floor. Reaver himself makes his way beside me at the helm, staring at his pitiful treasure before it disappears into nothing more than driftwood.

"Do you mind explaining what has happened to my ship?" He sounded as if he accused me of the action, but I shake my head at the thought. My words were quick and precise, more concentrated on avoiding the monster beneath us and shooting the damned mermaids as I go. "You mean to tell me a _kraken _destroyed my ship? How ridiculous. Do you take me for a fool?"

"Believe me if you want later, Reaver! Right now I need you to use your perfect aim to shoot any woman you see in the water, got it?" I steer the ship in one direction after another, swearing I could feel the monster beneath us. "I believe it is there songs that control the men, including you and I apologize for your face, and the kraken is prey to them as well. For once in your life just listen to a word of reason, alright?"

_**-:.:( To The Age of Ages ):.:-**_

_Reaver's Point of View  
First Persons_

To say I was angry would be an understatement as I listened to the captain of the remaining ship holler at me. Later, I would make her pay desperately for her words, and blamed the throbbing in my cheek on her wholeheartedly. In the meantime, I give her a lasting string of insults and begin placing bullets between the eyes and in the hearts of the floating women in the waters.

"Shame I have to waste such lovely creatures," I chuckle, avoiding a rock that was thrown at my head. A chorus of voices begin again, the melody not the same haunting tune as previously. Behind me, Alouette screams in both hatred and terror, and my eyes are drawn to her without a second thought. Apparently one of the beasts had found a way to leap onto the deck and latch on to the captain, sinking enormous fangs into her thigh.

"Stop the singing! Reaver!" I loved the way my name was ravaged by her lips, dwelling on it a moment longer than I should have. I turn in time to see a massive tentacle protruding the water and headed straight towards the ship. I do not give it time to finish its descent before firing all my rounds into the sensitive hide.

I swear I heard a cry of pain from the waves as the tentacle retreats, blood spurting from the wounds I created. I shoot a few more bullets into the demons floating nearby, silencing them and keeping steady on all I could find. I needed to get to Alouette before the creature devoured her, but could not make it with all the things that kept trying to create new melodies.

A gunshot echoes around the ship and I turn in time to see the creature being pried from the captain, a bullet in its forehead. Alouette rips the woman off, deep gashes gushing blood on her upper thigh. She cringes, but does not stop the bleeding and instead takes the helm. Her determination was admirable, though stupid in all its misgivings.

We were steered successfully away from the horrid waters without too much more trouble, though it had taken a toll on our small fleet. We were missing a full ship, _my_ ship, and only a handful of the crew had made it safely to _The Ruthless Contessa _in time. Once I was sure we had a bit of smooth sailing to go, I decide it best to see what Alouette was up to now that she was done with her part.

"Seems you have a knack for attracting women, don't you, vixen?" I laugh boisterously, not noticing how pale the woman had become. She forces a smile, her lips stained red from the lipstick she normally wore. "Well, aren't you going to tell me how great of a shot I am?"

"Reaver. . . Shut. . ." _THUMP! _I open my eyes, finding her splayed across the floor in a puddle of blood from the creature and the woman. I kneel beside her, noticing she had lost a lot of the substance, but also seeing a small trickle of neon green venom oozing from her wounds.

"Who here is a doctor or at least knows what they are doing?" I call to the crew members. An Auroran man was at my side in a minute, watching as I picked up his captain and hurried her to her quarters. "They secreted venom, I believe."

He nods, leaving the room long enough to grab some herbs and return post haste. He wipes off the wound and then motions me closer. I raise a manicured brow at the man. "I need you to suck out the venom."

"Excuse me?" The look I gave him was incredulous. "Do you _know_ who you are talking to? I am _Reaver_, if you haven't heard already, and I do _not _suck out poison from dying captains. My ship is gone, and I need a new one. This is a perfect circumstance for me."

"If you do not suck it out, she will not die," he explains. "She will become one of those creatures and will turn on the first man to come into her mind, which is most likely either you or Hale. I cannot do the deed, for it is against my customs to place my mouth on such an intimate place."

"Well, I certainly won't be doing it," I snort. In my head, I felt the urge to do as he asked and save the woman from an untimely death. The thoughts were pushed further back into my mind and I remind myself that I only wanted her as a bed-mate and nothing more. "Let her die then. I will shoot her when she comes to."

"Move aside!" Hale, the delicious first mate of Alouette's crew, bursts forward, pushing me aside and placing his mouth on his captain's wound. I stare in disgust, though I feel a deep resentment towards him in the same moment. It did not take him long to spit out an oozing liquid that ate away at the floor, threatening to put a hole in the rich structure.

The Auroran bottles up the venom, then applies a salve to the sickly, within the deep wounds, wrapping them up. He turns to Hale, smiling in a secret satisfaction and shoves a leaf into his mouth. "So you do not get sick and die as well. Chew and swallow after thirty seconds. I need to get to the helm."

Once he is gone, the first mate turns to me and glares. "You will not last long on this ship with such an attitude, Reaver. She'll kill you when she's up and about and moving all right, I knows it. I'd be hiding in me undies drawer. Oh, wait, you don't _have _one anymore."

A gun was to his head, hammer cocked and ready to fire. "I suggest you leave now, illiterate buffoon, before I show you why they call me the Hero of Skill. Understand? Tatty-bye, dearie." He glares, snarling before leaving the room in a huff.

I take a seat next to the woman, sighing and running a hand through my manicured hair. It seems we would be sharing a cabin from this point on, and I smirk at the delicious after thoughts. "You can't escape me for long, dear Alouette. Now, you need to hurry and get your delightful rear from your sick bed."

She does not make a comment, sweat trickling down her forehead with the fever that ravaged her. I brush a few stray locks of the blood red hair from her face, wiping off my gloves on her sheets. She would not mind, after all, and I certainly did not want to run around with sweat on my expensive clothing. Nonetheless, I wondered why in the world I was even staying near her bed. Perhaps it was to assert my rightful position when she woke. . . Hmm.

"Well, I suppose I am stuck here until you rise," I sigh irritably, though secretly do not mind sitting here and relaxing. I had just lost my beloved ship, not to mention most of my crew but who is counting them, and felt obliged to take a break from the stress of it all. "You better get up soon. One false move, one scale growing on your skin, and you are _dead_ woman."

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**R.E.V.I.E.W. REVIEW. Review. review. ****R.E.V.I.E.W. REVIEW. Review. review. ****R.E.V.I.E.W. REVIEW. Review. review. ****R.E.V.I.E.W. REVIEW. Review. review. ****R.E.V.I.E.W. REVIEW. Review. review. ****R.E.V.I.E.W. REVIEW. Review. review. ****R.E.V.I.E.W. REVIEW. Review. review. ****R.E.V.I.E.W. REVIEW. Review. review. ****R.E.V.I.E.W. REVIEW. Review. review. ****R.E.V.I.E.W. REVIEW. Review. review. ****R.E.V.I.E.W. REVIEW. Review. review. ****R.E.V.I.E.W. REVIEW. Review. review. ****R.E.V.I.E.W. REVIEW. Review. review. ****R.E.V.I.E.W. REVIEW. Review. review. ****R.E.V.I.E.W. REVIEW. Review. review. ****R.E.V.I.E.W. REVIEW. Review. review. ****R.E.V.I.E.W. REVIEW. Review. review. ****R.E.V.I.E.W. REVIEW. Review. review. ****R.E.V.I.E.W. REVIEW. Review. review. ****R.E.V.I.E.W. REVIEW. Review. review. ****R.E.V.I.E.W. REVIEW. Review. review. ****R.E.V.I.E.W. REVIEW. Review. review. ****R.E.V.I.E.W. REVIEW. Review. review. ****R.E.V.I.E.W. REVIEW. Review. review. ****R.E.V.I.E.W. REVIEW. Review. review. ****R.E.V.I.E.W. REVIEW. Review. review. ****R.E.V.I.E.W. REVIEW. Review. review. **


	10. X: The Island of Mihandrogs

**Author's Note: **Terribly sorry for the wait loves! I've been working on my cosplay shit for Anime Fest, which is coming up Labor Day weekend, and my husband's 21st birthday was today so obviously I was stuck taking care of him, ha. Enjoy! (And thank you for all the beautiful reviews. If not for the few of you that take the time out to give them to me, I doubt I would still be writing this story. =])

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**Chapter Ten: The Isle of Mihandrogs**

When I woke, my body ached and my thigh throbbed uncontrollably. I felt slightly sick to my stomach, though not enough to cause a ruckus over it, and yearned for more time to myself. My heavy eyes move towards my left, finding Reaver passed out beside the bed in a chair, leaning on his elbow with his eyes closed, a soft noise coming from his lips.

I smile despite my current fatigue, rousing from my bed and trying to recall what exactly had happened and when I had gone to sleep. _'Oh, that's right. That damnable sea witch took a bite out of me.' _Giving forth a soft mewl as I stretch, my body pulls itself up and grabs the light sheet that was at the foot of my bed, obviously kicked away during my rest. Without a second thought, I drape it over the slumbering pirate king, pulling my boots on and exiting the room.

Of course, I had taken a moment to appreciate just how human my immortal companion seemed, laughing to myself. Once I am out in open air, I see my crew busily mulling about, trying to clean up the ship and get it in working order as it sailed further towards an island on the horizon.

What a minute! An island? I grin wildly, at last noticed by my first mate as the man comes running towards me. "Capt'n, you gave us a right foul scare. Sucked the poison out myself, I did. That selfish bastard refused and offered to put you out of your misery. Nearly threw him overboard, the crew and myself, but figured you would not be so happy once you roused."

"I would not put such a thing out there, mate," I chuckle, heading towards the helm where my Auroran sailor and medic steered us towards the land. "Tell me, how long have I been out and is that our destination at long last?"

"Nearly a day, though not more," Shaei murmurs, keeping his eyes glued on the land in the distance and effortless maneuvering my vessel forwards. "I believe it is, my Captain. She's been getting closer for hours, since just after we got out of the fog of the pirate graveyard and those nasty mermaids."

"Good job love!" I whack him on the back, strutting towards the side of the ship and realizing we could not have been more than an hour away from the island. "Hale, give me a bit of your pipe would you? I lost mine in the shuffle of things, I'm afraid."

He offers up the asked substance, allowing a few hits from it before it is returned. I am given a mug of clean water from below the ship, knowing it was a commodity at this point and surprised we were not completely out by now. Shaei was by my side in an instant, pulling the bandages from my leg and ordering me to take a seat on a nearby barrel.

The man proceeds in dressing the wound, still deep and trying to scab over. Even my heroes blood could not heal it quickly, which made me realize just how serious it was to be bitten by the creature from earlier. A dose of alcohol is poured against the flesh, burning for a few moments before wrapped in a new cloth.

"You are lucky Captain," the Auroran murmurs, his accent heavy but his literacy astounding. He did not speak as the pirates did, which was impressive with the amount of time he had been sailing with me. "In my country, it is said that if a woman is bitten by a siren, she will become one if the poison is not removed. I am surprised you don't have a tail yet, but that is thanks to Hale."

"I've heard. Thank you, Shaei," I sigh, ignoring the threat and angry that my favorite pants had been ruined. "Get ready to drop anchor. We do not need to venture too close to the island, seeing as we do not know what is lurking on it. We also need to keep to waters that are clearer as well. I don't want to have a fond greeting from that kraken again."

He nods, heading back to the helm as I scream for all to be wary as they begin dropping our various anchors. I could see clear to the ocean floor with where we were at, and noticed the strange formations of coral beneath us. Everything was glowing, and I was sure it would be a beautiful sight, should it be darker outside. Thankfully, it was early morning and I was well rested, which meant we had a bit of time to discuss our strategy and set out on the island.

"I suppose it is up to me to wake up the sleeping pirate," I laugh, heading back towards my cabin when I was certain things were coming to a halt with the ship. The crew could handle the rest from here, at least until we sailed to the mysterious island. It was much larger than I had imagined, honestly.

I was cautious to keep quiet when I approached Reaver, placing my hand on the hilt of his weapon to avoid an accidental death. Well, knowing him it might not be accidental at all. . . I lean forward, brushing some hair from his face and blow gently in his ear. It was an annoying way to wake, but a light method nonetheless.

"Reaver, it is time to get up," I coo. His hand juts forward, grabbing me around the neck and pulling me down in his lap with a start, glaring viciously. When he realizes just who was now wrapped around him, sitting firmly against his nether regions, he grows a tantalizing smirk.

"My, my, what sort of enchantress have I caught here? If you wanted a go with me, darling, you merely have to say so," he chuckles, releasing my throat and running his gloved fingers against it. I do not move, lavishing in the warmth he emanated and sigh softly. "Oh, falling for me already?"

"Only in your dreams, love," I remark sarcastically, rolling my eyes and keeping firm in my seat. "I suppose you watched over me all night then? Why in the world would a pirate with such a prowess for loving only himself want to watch over little old me to make sure I wasn't dying?"

"Ah, merely to make sure you did not grow a tail and start trying to devour the men," Reaver waves his hand around lazily, his face rather close to my neck. "If you would have, I had the honors of placing a bullet between your eyes, should you become too bothersome."

"Oh, how dreamy of you," I smile, closing my eyes when I realize he cannot see the action, too engrossed in my skin and hair. It was a delightful sensation, the beating of my heart and the tingling of my flesh wherever he touched. It almost worried me, though I knew I could not fall for such a man. He had a few tendencies that were far too much like my own. "Now, come dearest pirate. We have arrived at _Isle of Mihandrogs_, the son of Skorm. It does not bode well, honestly."

Reluctantly, I pull myself from his lap, feeling the resistance he put up. It did not stop me, and I brush his wandering hands away, grabbing him by the forearm and pulling him to his feet. A grand smile was on my face, and a chuckle passes his lips. "Why the grin, pet?"

"I smell adventure, my lovely consort. And its aroma is _invigorating_!" With this said, I run from the room, heels clicking after me.

**_-:.:( To The Age of Ages ):.:-_**

_Reaver's Point of View  
First Persons_

I had not wanted to let her go when I had at last captured the creature in such an intimate, conscious moment. My body had reacted of its own accord, nose planted in her neck and inhaling the wafting scent of the ocean in her locks. She noticed, of that I was certain, but did not dwell on things as I had hoped.

"I smell adventure, my lovely consort. And its aroma is _invigorating_!" Her voice was no longer wretched from the rains and the sickness, musical and like that of a sea nymph. I smirk, eyes locked on her rear as she runs from the room, then run a hand through my hair.

"Just what in the world is wrong with me? I must be coming down with something!" I laugh off the idea of anything other, knowing I could not get sick or attain any _sexual_ diseases because of my pact with _The Shadow Court_, thus my theory was flawed. I honestly did not have the time or the patience to think of anything other.

I followed Alouette onto the deck, watching the woman help secure a few boats to sail to land. Half the crew would remain and the others would follow, meaning to search the island out for anything amiss. With such a dreary name and the horrid trials we had passed just to get here, I did not doubt that things of magnitude lived within the trees.

My eyes only strayed away from Alouette- ironic that from her grandmother on, all of her family were named after birds- for a moment, but immediately took their place back on the lively beauty. I still could not fathom just how much like Sparrow the woman was, and it brought back old memories. My last memory of the woman had been after the death of Lucien and when the old witch was sending all of us on our merry ways. I still recalled the last words she had spoken that final day, the end of his ties with the woman and long after we had bedded back in Bloodstone.

_"Reaver!" She called to me, and I turned easily towards the woman, slowly making my way to the light. My smirk was devilish, and nearly grabbed her up to take with me on my various future adventures. "I just want you to know, it would have never worked between us." And now I truly did laugh, but before I could make another comment, she continued. "Besides, fate has already spoken and I am not the one you'll be with when you finally realize what love is. She'll come, and a lot sooner than you really think, my immortal pirate." With that, she had pushed me into the portal, blowing a kiss after the dashing pirate._

I was surprised I even remembered such a moment, mainly because her words had made me laugh at every thought of it afterwards for many, many years. Yes, I felt differently for the woman, but _love_? Oh my, no! I did not have a single bone in my body that could experience such a foolish, mortal thing! But for some reason, I had to wonder if the odd way Sparrow's eyes twinkled, that tear that slid down the demanding hero's face, if she had been speaking about someone she _knew_ I would meet in the future. I felt as if she spoke of the charming Pirate Queen, but that just made me laugh even harder inwardly. Why in the world would anyone think I was falling for the little mirror image of Sparrow? And even then, I had strongly disliked how conservative Alouette's grandmother had turned out to be, and it stood to question if she would be just like her ancestor in the end. In a way, it was hard to believe that the sea nymph could ever be turned away from a life of debauchery, as she lived. Also, why would I want to ever _love_- see, I even hate thinking the word- someone when I would have to watch them grow old and die, a very unattractive image.

"Reaver?" A set of stunning blue eyes pops up in front of my own, the stained lips turning into a delightful smile that caught on to my own face, though in a more sinister fashion. "Are you about done having your day dreams about my ass? We are close to this artifact, and in turn my freedom. Just think, we can go off our separate ways once we get this damn thing and get back to Bowerstone."

I would absolutely need to break away from this woman before things got too serious, and that would mean we needed to hurry along this excavation. She was not even willing to put out! How ludicrous that Sparrow would ever suggest I wind up with this woman! That is why she is dead and I am still very much alive. Well, that and my usual sacrifices and so forth. . . But who's counting those?

Alouette grabs me by the hand, nearly throwing me with that inhuman strength into the rowboat. She jumps in afterwards, the gleam in her eyes nearly shining brighter than the very sun as it reflected off the clear waves. Excitement was obvious for the woman, and I wondered if it was for her freedom that was coming closer, or for the treasure we were about to discover somewhere on this island. We had nearly died so many times already, and it would be no different. This treasure better be well worth the troubles.

"Calm down, my dear," I chuckle, condescending attitude returning with a vigor. "You must not be so overwhelmed in my presence. If you need to release that energy, then hop on. Forget that they can see."

She leans over, whispering in my ear with a soft breath against the shell, "If I wanted to fuck you, I would _want _all of them to see. Now shut the hell up and let me have this." With this said, she was back to the front of the small boat, jumping on shore once she could clear the water to the sand.

"Don't worry mate," a delicious, but dirty, member of her crew murmurs to me, "She needs it, ye'll be getting it. She be a right wild partner, that I know personally." He smirks, and I feel as if he was trying to get a one-up on me in some way. Unfortunately for this man, I was clearly not in the mood for such matters, and a bullet later he was bleeding out on the sand.

"Reaver! Don't shoot my men! We might need more on the journey home!" Alouette screams, but does nothing to help the dead man's dignity out. "Now, I want everyone to split up and find a job to do. Some need to set up a camp, some need to find fresh water, and others need to take up arms and help search the area around us for any signs of danger. When we camp here tonight, I would like to know I am going to wake up without a Balverine in my face. NOW!"

I grin, standing next to the charming woman while she surveys her stock of weapons, ghosting her hands across her _Wolfsbane_ sword and of course the _Dragonstomper .48 _at her hip. One of my hands glides around said hip, resting there casually as she stiffens, giving me a pointed look from the side.

"Reaver, whatever you are planning needs to stop. We are on a strange island in an ominous place, now missing a whole ship and half of that crew from just the journey here. I have a lot on my plate," she sighs, and I could not allow the beauty to fall so deep into despair when her mood was so chipper only moments ago.

"Ah, but all the more reason to be excited, my Alouette," I chuckle, though notice how I had staked a claim to her in my words. Such ridiculousness! She was _my_ Alouette after all, for I was the only one worthy of her time (Yet, was she worthy of mine? Hardly.) and her bed, even though I had not shared such an experience yet. _Yet_, being the word. . . "We are in a place where no one has returned alive to tell their tales, and we are both heroes. Remember, Hero of Skill after all, and you are born from the Hero of Brightwall and a long ancestry of ridiculously masculine women and men."

"I suppose," she rolls her eyes, but leans in against me after this for a few moments. The two of us enjoy the small silence before she pulls away and begins walking towards the forest, her normally heeled boots replaced for something with less of a height to them for the sand. "Come on Reaver, we need to scope out the area before we find some fresh meat to cook."

I eagerly join the minx, leading the lady around and into the exotic trees. Interesting. . .

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**REVIEW!**


	11. XI: Evils Beyond Compare

**Author's Note: **Alright, this is gonna be a long one... First of all, **ALL REAVER FANS, PLEASE READ ME:** I am SUCH a huge fan of the whole Reaver/Queen of Albion or various-women-of-that-lineage fan, that in exactly ONE WEEK I will be cosplaying as him. BUT! There's more... My beautiful cousin is going to go as the Queen of Fable III, except... dun dun dun... In a WEDDING THEME! Her dress is almost completed and I've already created the majority of my Reaver costume. To keep up with how things are going with my cosplaying and such, go to **nixxh DOT deviantart DOT com**, with the spaces removed and the 'DOT's replaced with actual periods. =] I'll have pictures up sometime very shortly after the weekend of September 1st, just to keep everyone satisfied. Trust me, it is going to be EPIC.

Now, on to the replies for my few faithful reviewers. Very few... _**AHEM -HINT**_** HINT-**.  
**Alexox123:** Thank you dear, I agree I need more reviewers. And in regards to IF Alouette becomes immortal- or if I decide to kill her off or let her wither and die without Reaver, since he is too posh to have an old wife- I think the Shadow Court is a bit overplayed in that aspect. You shall see... -wink- Keep reading this chapter lovey.  
**chellcat86: **o.O Everyone keeps saying that! I might make her finally give in to her sexual urges, or perhaps she turns lesbian? Who knows...? Keep reviewing doll-face. =X  
**Jellic0:** Ooh! I have a super reviewer! I'm so excited! -huggles- So far you're doing great by the way... -wink- I'm a freak for characters staying IN CHARACTER all the time, trust me, and if I don't think one is sticking to their correct persona, I will go on hiatus with the story until I can revamp it... =] I wanted Alouette to be something unlike the other OCs for the Fable genre out there, and thus made her a booze-drinking, orgy-loving, swearing badass with a lineage of royalty that is not too fond of her (or are they? -wink wink, spoiler maybe?-). I love you already, lovey. MWUAH!  
**Guest:** ... HELL YEAH I'M A REVIEW WHORE! D lmfao  
**Nekuo:** (Sorry I'm a bit behind on replying love...) Thank you so much for the compliment dear! -hugs-  
**LovelyLadyT: **O.O -hides behind chair- Please don't scream at me... I'm updating, see? O.O And yes, I agree that Hale is indeed a sexy beast. Someone should fanart him... Though not enough read this story to ever even think of making fanart. -.-  
**chellcat86:** (For your review on chapter 7 dear...) Ahh, I've made a fan out of you? =3 -strangles with love- You've reviewed more than anyone, so you get extra attention. I hope I'm satisfying you with plenty of Reaver, though I promise that things will heat up in later chapters... Heh, was that a spoiler? Hmm... we shall see...  
**MischieviousEnigma: **Your idea of a favorite heroine has a lot of sex then, darling. XD Reaver is forced to stay in character under penalty of throwing myself from a very tall building in shame... I swear I will do my best to keep him the asshole/hot pimp/billionaire egoist that he is. =3 I'm glad you think Alouette is interesting. She is amazingly fun to write about, that I promise you...!

Finally... -wipes brow- ON TO THE LONG AWAITED UPDATE! AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW AND FOLLOW ME ON DEVIANTART FOR PICTURES OF ME AS REAVER GETTING MARRIED TO THE QUEEN! XD [Though I'll hardly do the man justice, I will try with honor!]

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**Chapter Eleven: Evils Beyond Compare**

My sleep had been delightful, to be true, and I had taken a blanket out to the sand beside the tent set up for me to have my rest. I clearly remember Reaver mentioning he would occupy my previous arranged bed for me while I slept under the stars, which was fine by me. I had been right, noticing the way the strange coral fixtures under the water shone in neon during the darkest of hours. Now I was not a woman who really enjoyed the most trivial of things, but I had a keen eye for treasure and things that fixated my interests to an extreme extent, meaning I would try and take a chunk of this glowing coral before I left this place. What would a pirate be without her belongings, eh?

Unfortunately, I had been having nightmares for hours, and I blamed it on the ominous island around me. Screams, that was what I was hearing, and I felt as if my crew were being slaughtered by beasts I had never seen before. Have I ever mentioned just how much I hated nightmares? No, well I do. . .

The half of the crew that had stayed on my ship were ordered to stay right where they were should anything happen anyways, just so we could have a sailing party for our trek home. Hale had been put in charge, along with Charles and Shaei, but the first mate had been irritated beyond belief to find out I was taking Reaver ashore, but not him. Could you blame me? Hale might be a remarkable swordsman, but Reaver was the bloody _Hero of Skill _for Avo's sake! I needed the prowess, not the hopefulness. I greatly commended Hale on his skills, do not get me wrong, but with him being First Mate and a valuable asset to my crew, if something happened he would be in charge and I'll be _damned_ if Reaver gets his slimy paws on my ship. . . I don't care if he kept everything the same and did not shoot my men, I would still haunt him for all my dead body was worth.

"For the love of. . . Alouette, _get up now_!" I feel my body being shaken ruthlessly, dropped on the ground and followed by a few gunshots off in another direction. "You bothersome twit! I'll simply leave you to your death then, if you do not wake up in the next _two seconds_!"

"What is going on, damn it?" I yawn, pulling myself from the blanket and realizing the screams I was hearing were not from my dream, but instead from the camp on this once-beautiful island. Fires had taken over the few tents set up, beasts tearing at the throats and any available pieces of mine and Reaver's men. I gasp, pulling out my gun and firing off round after round into the creatures, feeling it was too late to salvage any of these souls without a burden. "Reaver, we need to get out of here."

"They swim remarkably, so I would not suggest going to water and towards your darling ship," he murmurs, his aim far better than mine, but I would never speak such a thing aloud. I would never live it down. . . "They seem to be going off what they can hear though, and shying from the light cast off the fires. I suppose they are night-dwelling creatures that don't like light of any sort."

"So, in other words we need to run into the forest without making a noise, because with as many bullets as we keep on us, I'm sure we don't have enough," I whisper, keeping the few that notice us at bay and allowing their bleeding forms to sprawl out on the beach. "They look like miniature balverines, I believe."

"Analyze later, pet. Let's go," Reaver says quietly, snatching up my arm and running across the sands. I pursue as best I can, realizing how fast he really was, and duck into the foliage and the massive trees. We weren't followed, for now, for the small creatures were busy feasting on the dead and the screams of the few being devoured alive were prominent. "What a mess. Any ideas, princess?"

"We should keep pursuing the treasure. Theresa told me to follow my heart, and that is what it is telling me to do. The men have strict orders, and I mentioned that, should there be an accident, that they would wait a grand total of two days for us. Knowing Hale, he'll start counting in the morning," I sigh, rubbing my tired eyes. "Do you want to sleep for now or keep moving? I have an idea of where to go."

"Then lead the way. The faster we are off this island and back in open waters, the better."

_**-:.:( To the Age of Ages ):.:-**_

That had been a whole day ago, the attack on the beach and the war of the wereverines. (That is what I had dubbed the miniature balverines, if you had not guessed.) Reaver had been complaining a majority of the way about how his hair was in need of proper grooming, and despite my efforts, I had not been able to properly tune him out. The two of us were weary, irritated, but still pressing forward. I felt we were close, and a cave coming closer and closer to us had been my destination.

Of course, once we had arrived at the entrance of the grotesque, dark cavern, the two of us merely stared in contempt of the location, hearing the idle dripping of stale water and the stench of the dead within. We had not run into many other foul creatures, just a few hideous ones here and there that had been easily disposed of, and I had come to terms with just how badly I wanted off this horrible rock in the middle of a cursed sea. Yes, I wanted some of that glowing, mystical coral, but I would sooner drown than actually pursue such a whimsical fantasy.

"You expect me to go in _there_?" Reaver scoffs, glaring at the innards of the cavern. "It reminds me of my Rear Passage from Bloostone." I would have laughed at the double innuendo, but wave it off with a brush of my hand and a growl from my stomach. "Oh, seems you are just as famished as I am for a luxurious meal. I say we find it and then head back to the ship."

"Since when is the almighty Reaver not up for a treasure of grandeur?" I chuckle darkly, beginning the descent into the dark cave, in a way hoping he would turn tail and run, but also praying he would escort me within. He hesitates, lighting up a torch, and then follows me in without a second word on the matter. "It's down here, I'm sure of it. Something is calling to me."

"Well, it better not be any more troublesome wereverines, or whatever you have dubbed them," the man glowers, taking stride beside me and to the left. "Something is not right in this place. I feel it in my bones."

"It reminds me of the passage to the Sanctuary my mother allowed me and my brother to explore as children," I divulge, hearing a few bats overhead. "Exactly like it, no doubt. Hopefully the bats are as ridiculous and harmless here as they are there though."

We travel in silence for a few miles, heading deeper underground and feeling the darkness surrounding us. I shiver, my heart racing and my fears realized. I hated the dark, and thus why I had chosen a life at sea on _open_ waters. Even the darkest nights on the vast ocean were illuminated by dazzling stars and the merry songs of my crew. I could not let my fears stop me though, for I could feel how close my freedom was to me.

We come to a large room, illuminated by more of the sparkling corals with a small, shallow pond in the middle of it. The horrid smell was coming from this room, now nearly causing tears to come to my eyes at the sheer stench of it all. Reaver makes to cross it, but my arm stops the man in his tracks, eyes narrowing on the dark pool. "Something really isn't right here, love. I would stop for a moment, if I were you."

"We have come this far and I don't feel like wasting any more time. Do you really want a dashing pirate such as myself to show less fear than a grand hero-to-be, hmm?" With this said, he steps onto the waters, causing a soft ripple, and in turn a massive shuddering of the earth. "What in blue blazes. . ."

"I told you! Get down!" I scream, throwing the two of us to the floor as a creature emerges from the foot-deep water. He was massive, molded, and seemed to be a troll of some sort. Except, this troll had bones protruding his flesh, growling with a massive hammer of the skulls of men in its palm. His eyes were glowing like the dreaded oculars of the Hollow Men, and I felt a shudder of my own rack my body. "Shit, it's a troll."

"Well, congratulations on your discovery. Now let me up so we can kill the blasted thing and get moving," Reaver hisses, pulling himself from the floor and brandishing his _Dragonstomper .48 _in a fluid motion. "Now, die pretty." He shoots out one of the veins that were exposed, chuckling at the monstrous scream that echoed about the cavern. "See, not so tough after all, are we ugly?"

The beast takes his hammer and slams it towards Reaver, narrowly missing the pirate as he rolls out of the way. I scream in protest, pulling out my matching gun and firing repeatedly at the monster, aiming for any veins I could find. Unfortunately, even with my superb aim, his thrashing did not allow any of my bullets to make their mark. Sadly, I was running out of ammunition at this point. . .

"I will fucking kill you if you don't move from my path!" I holler, doing a quick barrel roll to avoid the hammer and a fist that followed moments later. Rocks were flying and I felt a rather sharp piece pierce my exposed side, though not enough to kill me. More rounds are fired from both me and Reaver, and the beast does little but voice his protests in the form of heated growling.

"Behind him!" Reaver shouts to me, and I notice the small glimpse of a few miniscule veins from the back of the beast. I quickly roll towards the area, firing off another round and hitting my mark at last. A shockwave comes over the creature (I'll call him a Hollow Troll, ha!) and he turns to give me a proper welcome for the pain. I barely avoid it, giving Reaver the chance to take out another of the creature's weak spots.

"Three down, three to go!" I inform him loudly and clearly, hitting yet another sweet spot. That meant only two more and we would be finished with this monster, and Reaver played his part splendidly after yet another was taken out. I smirk in triumph, seeing the final vein protruding the top of his head, moving to climb up the rocks beside me to get a better shot at it.

Unfortunately, Reaver had seen it too, but did not have the luck I did in not being noticed. The hammer swings, and the pirate is unable to avoid it as he is thrown back against the wall, hearing the resounding _CRACK! _of precious bones in the process. I groan, hurrying to shoot the final spot on the troll and expecting things to be done with after that. Well, my luck was not as good as I thought, for as soon as the final spot is taken out, the beast explodes into a myriad of Hollow Men, ranging from the pathetic to the brawny.

_And they were heading towards the fallen pirate._

"Shit, Reaver!" I leap from the wall, running to stand in front of him. My bullets fly true, and once I have run out I switch to my _Wolfsbane_, slaying the few remaining bone bags. Once I am sure that no other monsters are coming after us, I turn my attention to the pirate, blood trickling from his mouth. "Hold on, you damned fool."

I would later come to appreciate how weak the man looked in that moment, seeing as he was always so cocky and obnoxious, but for now I pull out one of the only two vials I ever carry on me, shoving it down his throat. It was a powerful healing toxin, and yet it still did not bring him to consciousness. I scream in rage, ripping the final vial from my pocket and now forcing him to drink the resurrection concoction from years ago, a keepsake of my grandmother, and glare.

It took a few moments, all of which my heart was thundering and my worry was growing heavier, but I saw a few signs that the man was coming back from being half-dead. I place a hand to my face, feeling a bit of wet substance, and realize I had been _crying_ I was so worried over the man. What in the world had gotten into me? I did not cry for _anyone_! Only for the sake of Albion, as I showed Theresa on our first and last encounter, and yet here I was leaking over the damned fool of an immortal.

What had gotten into me? Had I truly gone _soft_, as dreaded of a word as that was in this context? It disgusted me, but at the same time my heart was sent into a flurry of beats, all fast and aching. What was this pain my chest? I had not been wounded and I knew there was nothing wrong with me besides the cut in my side from the beast. I must have been sick, and yet even that did not seem to be a plausible answer for it. Just what in the world was going. . .

_Oh shit. I'm in love with Reaver._

Realization his me like a ton of bricks, and I suddenly felt very weak and sick to my stomach. I wipe up my tears, wondering how I could have deserved such terrible situations in this lifetime. First imprisonment, then horrible storms and ugly creatures, and now I was in love with a man who was only capable of loving himself, a trait I normally credited to my own disposition. I hated my life, and all I wanted now was to finish up this mission and get as far from Reaver as I possibly could before I buried myself deeper into this pit of despair. I felt _pathetic_. . .

"Something wrong, princess?" Reaver gives a strained chuckle, but I hear the potions working in his voice. "Come here and coddle the sickly, would you? I'm a bit cold and I certainly cannot heat myself, or I would."

I hesitate, but then fall into the crook of his arm and wrap both my arms around his middle, trying to give him more body heat, secretly wondering if this was a trick, which was nowhere beyond Reaver's capabilities. Nonetheless, he sighs, leaning his head back with his eyes closed. "Damn dirty beast. I trust you finished him off without much of a hassle?"

"He exploded into a dozen plus hollow men, so I had to get rid of them too," I murmur, relishing in the feeling of being held by the egotist, knowing this moment would end quickly. "You better be happy I always carry a healing potion and a resurrection potion on me, or you might be going back to your beloved shadowy friends a lot sooner than you believed." _Though, I bet they would simply _love_ your company. . . _

"Hmm, I suppose I owe you a debt then," he calls gently, his mouth turned into a smirk but his eyes still closed. "Just remember pet, I'm still a far better shot than you by leagues."

I smile despite the situation, shaking my head against his chest. "Ah, that may be true, old man, but you've had centuries of practice on me. Now, can you get up? We're close. That creature would have been guarding something, after all. And I'm worried over my ship. We might not have a ride off this island, and if so, I'll gladly trip you to get away from those dreaded little vermin, understand?"

He nods with a strained laugh, and I help him to his feet. At first he resists the idea of gaining help from me, but in the end gives up and wraps an arm around my shoulders with a snort of protest. The two of us continue through the room and down a lengthy hallway before coming to a set of ancient stairs leading up. We amble up, slow-going thanks to the injured, burden of a pirate, and come out to a small grove, surrounded completely by large rock walls and allowing a decent circle of light to come through the roof.

I was in awe, feeling we were at the very top of the mountain in the middle of the island, for snow flitted through the hole, yet never reached the ground. The temperature was warm, tropical, despite our altitude and a waterfall protruded from the wall in the back of the secret paradise, leaking into a small pond that could not have been any deeper than the trolls. Though the sun did not shine in this place, a light surrounded everything, almost surreal and yet not at the same instance. It was confusing, and yet I felt as if this was right. My heart had brought me here, as Theresa promised, and it seemed the end justified the means.

"What in the world is this charming little place?" Reaver questions aloud, pulling himself up more to gaze about but never removing his arm. "Now what are we supposed to do exactly?"

A blinding flash appears, Reaver's arm instinctively tightening its grip and pulling me flush against his side protectively. I would have been overjoyed at the possessive contact if such things were not happening at this moment, and I realize that the source was none other than Theresa as she steps through the flashing white portal, walking over to us with her ethereal aura that was, no doubt, centuries old, if not longer so.

"I see you have made it at last, little hero," she calls, her voice still echoing despite the lack of room to do so. "And you as well Reaver, though there is nothing for you in this room other than the woman at your side, I'm afraid."

His gun was aimed at her head in an instant, finger resting on the trigger and the hammer pulled back from the gears at the top of the gun. "You mean to tell me I have nearly died on numerous occasions to find out that this treasure is not for me? I see nothing in this room that interests me!"

My heart sinks a bit, but I do not forget how his arm was secured. I was acting like a lovesick fool and needed to remedy myself before it was too late. Though, I wondered if I had already sunk too far below the waters to ever return. . . I hated him. _But I loved him. . . _"What is in here for me Theresa? This room is void of anything but trees and water!"

"Ah, but it is the water that you are here for, my child," she coos. "First, there are things I need to show you before you know the truth."

First, an image of my mother appears, though as the woman I remembered her from before I was imprisoned. Her eyes held that lovely light and she radiated an old aura, despite how young she looked. I had never noticed how much she had aged in the time I was in my tiny little cell underground, but now it was obvious from the last time I had seen her. One would think _I _ would be the withering and half-decayed form, not the glorious mother I had once admired.

"Alouette," her voice was soft, musical, yet I still felt a resentment as she spoke. "I have many things to tell you, but little time to do so. First of all, you have found the treasure I wanted you to find, not an artifact but a location instead." I go to speak, but she stops me pointedly. "I wish to apologize for your imprisonment, for I have always loved you as my world and my sun, just as I do your brother."

"I am absolutely tired of these weird circumstances," Reaver grumbles, though none listened to him. It was a rare moment where tuning him out was actually _possibly_, if you could possibly believe it.

"This is a treasure only you can possess right now, and something that will be the greatest piece of your future. Your brother does not have the blood of the heroes running in him, despite his parentage, as my brother Logan did not, but you do. My little pirate," she laughs lightly, and I feel those damned tears stinging at my eyes again. Pirates, especially one as great as I, did _not_ cry. Something was amiss. . . "I know you probably hate me for all I have done, and I don't blame you at all. Just remember, I love you, alright?" She receives a nod in response. "Now, the last thing I can give you is this. . ." Valentina motions to the waterfall, grinning beautifully. "Drink from these waters and you will never have to come here again, unless you want those later in your life to do so. _The Shadow Court _is not the only way to gain eternal youth, you see."

"Excuse me?" Reaver nearly lunges from me, aiming towards my mother, but I stop him. "I sacrificed Oakvale when there was another way?" I gasp, never really knowing he had given up the town and he was the reason for its destruction, but his words told all. Those dreaded stories of our ancestor's demise had proved true, yes, and none other than Reaver's mighty hands.

"Aaron, hush," Theresa soothes, and a supernatural force keeps his mouth from opening again. _Aaron?_

"You will stop this menace that is coming to Albion, to Aurora, to Samarkand, and all of the world," Valentina continues as if she were never interrupted. "If you are seeing me now, that means I am probably no longer with you. Your brother's coronation is in exactly two weeks, my child, and if you don't get there to stop the forces at work, I'm afraid all will be lost and your immortality for nothing."

"Wait, it is going to try and kill Deryn?" I growl, and feel the longing to be near my brother become a nagging disease in my mind. That is the one person I would kill _all _of Albion for, with my bare hands no less. "Then what are we waiting for? I have places to be, by Avo!"

The queen laughs, shaking her head and coming forward, placing a kiss on my head that did not even feel real. "I always loved you, just remember that, and I always will. Be safe, and be the hero you were meant to be." Before she begins to fade into nothingness, she gives Reaver a cautious smile as well. "And Reaver?"

"Yes, witch?" He glares, nearly causing me to laugh at the fond way he spoke of her. No, I did not hate her as I had, despite how deep those feelings still ran, trying to surface, but seeing his discontent at her presence was enlightening and heartening.

"Take care of my pirate queen, would you? You have been excused of your crimes and are welcome back in Albion. I even left your old home in Millfields to you in my will. Be happy, because I even left it as trashed as when you decided to run off to Samarkand," she calls, then disappears into the void.

"Spry old. . ."

"Now, fulfill your destiny Alouette," Theresa instructs, her own body gone in a flash of light and leaving me and Reaver in an eerie silence. I remove his arm from my shoulders, stepping forward and gazing at the rippling waters below me. The also had a surreal gleam about them, reminding me of the strange fixtures in the oceans surrounding this place, but at the same time entirely different.

"If this kills me, sink my ship," I order to the man as he smoothly glides up next to me. He smirks, and I know he would merely sail away in it before he would destroy it. Fortunately, Hale would not allow such a thing, if the pirate did not kill my first mate before he could cut him in half. The image was pleasing, aching all int he same instance. "Alright, here goes nothing." _Or everything. . . _

"Alouette," Reaver stops me, and I felt as if he were about to give some grand, beautiful speech. Unfortunately, it is Reaver we are talking about. . . "I'll be shooting your brother and Hale, should this kill you. Just keep that in mind."

"Will do, love," I chuckle, knowing his words were true but also feeling he meant them so I would stay alive, then reach up and kiss him for all I'm worth. I feel the smirk he produces, then the arms locking about me and sealing the delightful battle of tongues. It was _amazing_, this moment, and my body felt alight with a fierce blaze of fire, not only at my core as per normal but instead in every fingertip and each pore of my heated flesh. I never wanted to be let go, but reluctantly pull from his arms to seal my fate. "Oh, and if I kill this great evil that is coming to destroy us all, be ready." He gets the provocative innuendo, laughing to himself as I kneel by the waters.

I take a scoop of the thick liquid in my cupped hands, sighing before I slurp up the mix with cautious nerves. The reaction was instantaneous as I fall backwards and begin seeing images flash before my eyes, almost too fast to even catch. They took my breath away, and I came to acknowledge how badly I needed to win this fight for the world.

First, I saw vast waters without a single bit of land to make port at, a darkness swimming above the ocean and the sounds of screams under the tides resounding, hands reaching forth from the tides and gripping at anything near them, the ocean drenched in thick red blood. I shudder, then pass off to another image that made my heart scream.

I was sitting at the helm of the ship, a mysterious man sailing it, as two children sat on each of my knees. One was a beautiful little girl, and the other a dashing young boy, though they were both unfamiliar and looked nothing like anyone I had ever known. I credited this to how blurred their images were, almost hard to tell their sexes, and wondered if they were Deryn's children. Of course, he would never allow them on a boat with _me_, I would believe.

"That's enough of that, princess," Reaver calls me from my stupor, picking me up and throwing me onto his back, beginning our trek back towards the beginning of the cave. I realize now he had carried me a good portion of the way, and I could see the light of day once more. It made my heart swell, never realizing how beautiful such a light was. Would I really be changed after this encounter? No, I think not, at least in some ways.

"We've missed our two days. The ship will be gone," I respond, feeling the note in my voice that was almost surreal. I wondered if my looks had changed, but I certainly felt a stirring within me that made me feel invincible. I knew I could still be taken by death, should one put a bullet or a sword in my head, but otherwise my body was weary and empowered in the same moment. Was this how Reaver felt all the time? Perhaps the weariness would fade. . . Was I even really immortal? Hmm, I would have to see with time. . .

"I think not." We were through the jungle in no time, confronted by not a single deadly creature to our pleasure, and find a few men on the beach, cheering at our return with faces that truly expressed their joy. "Seems your crew were waiting for their captain. Now, we have a good bit of sailing to do."

I smile. Things were starting to look up, despite the terror that the world could become.

_Despite my secret revelations within the cave of the Hollow Troll. . . _

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**R.E.V.I.E.W!** It's a turning point in the story, after all. I want to know what you make of Alouette's realization of immortality and her love of the pirate king. . . Of course, I simply cannot make things easy from here, now can I? Not that far to go, loves!


	12. XII: Potential of a Pirate Queen

**Author's Note: **Alright, well I thought I would treat everyone since I will not be updating for at least another week or more, between then and three at the least. Tomorrow is the day I get my coat and pants for my Reaver cosplay worked on and I'll be busy with my tiddly-bits and packing until then. So, here you all are, even if I didn't get but two reviews in the last two days. Speaking of Reviewers and my beautiful fans...

**Alexox123: **This is what you wished for dearest, and so you shall have it. =3 I hope I didn't dissapoint with this update! Keep reading and reviewing darling! Love, Nixx.  
**chellcat86: **Well, first of all I did not get all of your review unfortunately. Perhaps it hasn't shown up on here yet, but I received most of it in my email. It cut off the 'P.S.' part... Anyways... Fuck your phone for deleting your first review! Lol. XD I wanted to acknowledge those of you that have reviewed, for it is the least I can do, but you are welcome anyways lovey. =] I hope you checked out my deviantart, even if it is merely a journal and pics of the Dragonstomper .48 I created, which are unfortunately the only updates I have on my costuming so far. I'll try to get pics tonight and put more up, if at all possible. I have a feeling you'll like the Balverine Cane Topper... It certainly is my fave... And in regards to your questions... You might get an intimate scene, or like I said before, Reaver might completely hate her in the end and tell her to frog off. XD Just keep reading my darling. This one is for you, considering you are my most avid reviewer thus far!

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**Chapter Twelve: Potential of a Pirate Queen**

I was a terrible slacker as of late, for I seem to be waking up more than I find myself walking around. Apparently I- once again- had passed out, though with good reason after my explorations of the island in the evilest of seas, and now woke up energetically from my bed. It took a few minutes to recall exactly what had happened, and I realized a certain pirate was nowhere to be found, despite sharing the bed with me since his ship was at the bottom of the ocean. I wasn't complaining. . . Well, in both aspects I suppose. I woke up alone, but at night I had a deviant- which was always naked, as tempting as that was to resist- to keep the sheets warm. Of course, without getting the sex he often implied at that is.

I eagerly stand, legs giving a profound shake but doing little to stop me in my endeavors to reach my hand mirror across the room. I snatch it up, ignoring the fact that I was in only my undergarments, and proceed to examine myself in the mirror. The few scars that had once wrecked my body were absolutely cleared, leaving the shining sun-kissed bronze of my sea-tan. The color was lovely, glowing in its own light as Reaver's paleness normally did, and I slowly move the mirror to glance at my face.

Nothing seemed really _different _about my facial features, but I noticed a better definition in my cheekbones and eyebrows, though softer around my chin. My eyes shone the brightest blue I could imagine, though somehow was almost identical to my original color, and my hair bounced with an ethereal shimmer, dancing delightfully with a hint of a twist here and there. It was far improved from the wind-tangled, branch-snared mess of a mane I had before. My lips were fuller, though not overly so, and all around I had that immortal beauty that I had only seen capable of the pirate king. Perhaps this immortality thing was not so bad afterall, and yet I did not mind the thought of death. Of course, what could be better than sailing the seas my entire life, conquering merchant ships and blowing holes in a few heads, able to have an amazing romp or orgy at every port for the rest of my days.

"Well, this is the first perk, I suppose," I chuckle, hurriedly pulling on my clothing and feeling the usual sway in my walk as I glide from the door. Everyone on deck calls their greetings as I pass, headed towards the helm, all staring a moment longer than usual when noticing the superb change in their captain. Reaver, finding him at last, was at the helm and speaking with Hale, though my first mate looked rather displeased at having to do so with him.

"Oi! Capt'n!" Hale glowers at the pirate as he finally feels me approach him. "Tell this bloke to sod off! You are the _only _one who gov'rns this here ship, and I take second lead. Tell hi-. . ." He trails off, turning to stare at me with wide, dark eyes. "Holy hell, Capt'n! You look bloody different!"

"I'll explain later, Hale," I murmur, not even asking as I reach into his pouch on his hip and light up his pipe, not returning it this go around. "Reaver is in charge when I am not, to an extent that is. If he tries to make off with my ship, then you can throw him overboard. Now, I need to speak to the man alone, if you would mate. In other words, go fetch me a bottle of booze and an apple, would you?"

Hale grumbles, stomping off- childishly, mind you- to do as I had asked as I turn to Reaver, a hand on my hip and the other holding the pipe up, waving it about. "What do you think? I look too different? I feel as if I could conquer the world right about now."

"You are getting cocky, darling," Reaver smirks, sizing up the slight differences in my image. "But I must say, immortality suits you." I inquire about our position and the length of time before we reach Albion. "Ah, you have a knack for sleeping away your troubles, love. We have already passed the region where we hit the monsoon. It was surprisingly clear this go around, and I should probably credit that witch for that hmm?"

"Beats the hell out of me, but at this point I wouldn't doubt it," I roll my eyes, allowing him to steer as I sit off to the side on the edge of the railing, completely lifting myself up onto it and leaning against a decorative piece of the ship that was jutting out. I feel a nauseating glimpse of deja vu, shaking the images from my head and stretching lazily. "Ah, you have any idea how long until we reach Bowerstone? I'll be needing to see my brother immediately."

"Two weeks is a bit short of a time, don't you think little hero?" Reaver had not stopped staring at me, and I expected him to pounce at any given moment. "I would give my best guess at sixteen days after we make port in Aurora."

I shake my head profoundly, standing from my post. "I'm afraid that would not work, Reaver. Fortunately, I have a tireless crew that is willing to work for their fair share of gold. First, I'll need to make an address. None know what is going on, and if I want to avoid a mutiny-" I heard him laugh something about 'none could take us on this ship, love', but ignore the man, "-I'll need to tell everyone. Do sit back, would you?" _For once in your bloody life, do as you're told. . ._

I head towards the wheel, standing before it and leaning down, unconsciously giving Reaver a good view of my rear, and call a loud attention to my crew. All stop what they are doing, coming closer to the stairs and staring up at me with a quiet murmur going through the mass of men and mops. I chuckle at my own pun, then stand tall, a hand on one hip, and brush out my hair with the other, giving a stare that would chill a Hollow Man to his core.

"Listen here, my lovely crew," I call loudly, voice heard by all and silencing the small pieces of chatter just as Hale comes to my left, holding my bottle of wine in one hand and an apple in the other. I motion for him to hold the apple a moment longer. "I know a lot of you have some questions regarding the treasure that was on that dastardly little island that killed many men to come to. I have your answers.

"As all of you know, I am obviously different in some ways," I exaggerated the ethereal qualities that surrounded me, a bit drastic in my movements and sparking more light chatter I could easily project over. "Well, you see mates, that is something I cannot disclose with you. Know this, something is coming to Albion that could kill every last one of us, _will _kill. I have learned of this just after leaving port in Debal, I'm afraid, but was sworn to keep it quiet until after our trip to the Isle of Mihandrogs."

"Captain, what are you trying to say here?" Charles questions, making sure I could hear it over the growing murmurs of the men. "Is it like the darkness that swept Aurora and nearly overtook all of Albion those many decades ago? The one your mother stopped?"

"No, much worse than that," I shake my head somberly, taking a ferocious chug of my wine to calm my burning nerves. It was hard to comprehend something when one had not seen the gruesome, terrifying images that damned Theresa had decided to frighten me with. "It is nearly every pirate's dream, you see. A land that is covered in water, a threat that is going to try and drown all of the world. Unfortunately, the dream ends when said pirate comes to realize that this would mean no ports, no fresh water, and certainly no treasure. I was instructed to take the Hero of Skill to the island we have just left to attain a key component that could stop this menace before it ever has a chance."

"When will this monster come, Capt'n?" Hale now asks from my side. "It sounds like a right foul beast, one much worse than that evil Crawler-whoseit from the scary stories my mum read at my bedside."

"Much worse indeed, mate," I sigh heavily, feeling that weight on my shoulders again, though greatly alleviated from the constant buzz I felt within me. "I do not know exactly when it will come, but I have been given some clues. First of all, if my suspicions are right, the Queen of Albion, Hero of Brightwall, is dead."

That sparked an outrage, for the Queen was one that had gone easier on pirating since my grandmother, and she was very keen that 'whatever happened at sea, stayed at sea, unless it is one of my fleet'. Thus, all pirates had favored her, though not overly so considering renegades do not usually care for authority figures and monarchs. My mother had been a partiarch of 'don't ask, don't tell' rules, and that had grown a fond respect amongst the world I lived so deeply within.

"Quiet!" It was an instantaneous effect, all ceasing their screaming and brawling. "And that means that my brother, Deryn of Bowerstone, will be crowned King of Albion in a short two weeks. I have been told that this monster, whatever it may be, that threatens to take over the kingdom, the world, will appear at his coronation and try to assassinate him. Now, despite what you all believe, I am the rightful heir to the throne, a title I _do not want_. I am a pirate, royalty amongst thieves, so no one need make a comment about such.

"Now, you must understand my position, dirty rats," I chuckle, hearing a small laugh in response throughout my men, "that with this threat approaching so quickly, we need to make it to Albion post haste. If we don't and the Prince dies, that means I will have to become the ruler and no longer govern this ship. Which means, all of you will be out of jobs and have to look for someone else to hop on board with who is going to plunder and loot even half as good as I do."

More protests ring and I hear something rather peculiar being said. Shaei bumps his fist against his heart, gathering attention at the thunderous noise from the well-built Auroran male. "I will follow you until the end, Captain, as Pirate Queen."

A profound smirk gathers onto my face, hearing the call of all my men- and a few of Reaver's, to my smug content- as they agree with Shaei, pledging their allegiance to me no matter the situation and what unfolds. At last, someone questions on what should be done to keep me from taking the throne and being allowed to continue a magnificent life on the vast oceans.

"We must make it to Bowerstone in less than two weeks," I holler, finishing off my drink. "Who is with me?" Everyone cheers, hurrying about their business as I begin shouting orders and questions off. "Mr. Corrigan! How much food do we have left?"

"Enough for nine days of sailing, Capt'n! Thirteen for water if we go heavier on the booze!"

"Mr. Lenny, Hamjs, and Orname, get to fishing and gather us up enough grub to last us another few days after that!"

"Yes Capt'n!"

"I want the sails dropped! Everything that we can lose on this ship to make it lighter, do it! Cannons, balls, chains, anything we don't need to get there, get rid of it!" I was walking down the ship, then into the lower portions and beginning to cut loose the weapons I stated. "If we meet enemy ships in the water, I will handle it without the need of a cannon!"

Once the unnecessary things are dropped to the floor of the ocean, I could almost feel the ship sailing faster against the tides, as if they were helping us along in our journey. I give an outright laugh at that notion, giving one last scream to the crew.

"And our trip to that cursed island was not a complete loss! All of you will have your fair share of gold when I can properly get rid of the rare hides of those blasted miniature balverines!" Another cheer before all go back to work, trying hard to please their captain and doing a damn good job of it.

"Seems you have a knack for this pirating thing," Reaver murmurs, leaning against the railing with me, his back to the ocean while I stared straight out at it. "Even my crew is listening, as infuriating as it is."

"Reaver, the world is about to come to an end and you are worried about your men listening to another captain?" I roll my eyes, rubbing them soon after. "I don't like being a hero. I don't feel up to such a responsibility. I mean, what sort of pirate is a damned hero, eh?"

"You are a free woman, and that is how you feel. One of the many reasons I am attracted to you. That, and I still have yet to test the rumor of your nightly endeavors," he smirks, and I place of lock of hair behind ear. Was I blushing? "I know all too well about being thrust into the role of hero. Fortunately for you, you have a choice. Either let the world drown or save everyone and so forth with all the tiddly bits."

"No, I have been thrust into it," I 'humph' and continue staring at the seas. "I would rather have my freedom with some places to go. This is highly frustrating. Though, you are stuck by my side whether you like it or not, pirate."

"The women in your family are pretty good at forcing my hand," Reaver murmurs irritably. That, or his tone just made me want to hit him. "Now, how about we rectify this with a good romp, my pet? I might be more inclined to help you if I get something out of it."

"Reaver, shut up," a thought hits me. "How about, I'll sleep with you, do whatever you want in the bedroom, if you help me defeat this menace? Sound like a plan to you?"

He hesitates, rubbing his chin and the little triangular beard he had grown since I saw him in Debal. It was quite dashing, to say the least. "I suppose this deal could benefit me in some ways. You will be my sex slave for an entire week."

"Three days," I growl in response.

"Four."

"Alright, two."

He shrugs, then smirks wildly. "It was more than I was offered at the start. I'll take it." We shake on the deal, though I don't quite understand how a handshake could seal a fate like this in a situation. Another thought that bothered me was why he would even accept a simple two days when it started at a week? I mean, Reaver was a greedy man. Perhaps I would not even leave a bedroom, or wherever this was to take place- as kinky as that was-, for the duration of the time. I turn away from him once this is all said and done with, then decide to go about and help my crew.

The sooner we made it to Albion, to Bowerstone, the better.

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**R.E.V.I.E.W!**


	13. XIII: Making Port

**Author's Note: **So in celebration of Anime Fest 2012 going along so very splendidly, I will give everyone an update on the Reaver story, considering I did attend as the industry tycoon. I have a few AWESOME COSPLAY PICS of **Reaver and the Queen getting married** on my deviantart, all cosplayed out. Look for NixxH on the site and you'll find me and the amazing images. =] I do believe I made a splendid Reaver, no?  
**  
chellcat86: **DEAREST! -glomps- First of all, congratulations on the 6 months. =]] I'll dedicate this one to you, even though it isn't really an interesting chapter. . It's more of a filler... Anyways... Please tell me you happen to be Shadowwoods on deviantart. If not, I'm an idiot I think. Lol. Sadly I have not read any of the Fable novels. Since I'm done conventioning for a year, I'll probably be purchasing well... all of them. =] Where can I buy them at, do you know? I especially want to read Reaver's starring novel. =] If you haven't seen my cosplay pics yet, do go check them out. They are really spectacular, I believe. Took a LOT of hard work and so forth... =]  
**Alexo123:** Here's another update lovey! Hope you enjoy it! It's a bit drab, but has a few in depth moments within Alouette's head... As scary as that is at least.  
**Jellic0: **Oh how I love your reviews. They are so very detailed on the specifics likes (and hopefully never dislikes lol) you have for the story thus far. Wereverines were just a bit off the top of my head, ha, but I would SO love one as a guard dog. Try breaking in my house now, eh! =] I wanted her mother to come off as evil, vindictive, and with it being Theresa behind it there was a justification for her actions. I mean, the seer is basically 'do this or ruin the future' all the time, after all. 'Choose your destiny, but do so wisely...' and blah blah blah. As for Alouette's new realization of Reaver and her feelings associated with him, there is a nice little problem coming up soon. Not this chapter, but in the next few. =] I do hope you enjoy the twists and turns I have ahead, considering the story is not far from finished.

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**Chapter Thirteen: Making Port**

We had at last reached Albion after thirteen days of tiresome work, only one unnecessary fight with another ship that fell before they could fire off a second round of cannons, and a _vast _shortage of booze. Apparently the crew took things more literally when the comment 'the water will last if we go heavy on the alcohol' was made, and we had more water than we knew what to do with. During this time, I had realized just _how _dependent I was on alcohol to keep my feelings for Reaver at bay, and the insatiable urge to jump his bones became more apparent about eleven days in when I had finished off the final drop of my private storage or rum and wine, even the ancient scotch buried where none would find it.

Reaver had been excessively annoying during this time without booze, for despite how avid I was to keep myself from him, the pirate was nearly up my ass, in a manner of speaking. The man clung to me at nearly every turn, never stopping when he took notice to how well he was getting to me. It was maddening, to say the least.

I had unlocked a part of my Will abilities over the last menagerie of days, thanks to Theresa popping up in a dream again. (Honestly, when was she going to just leave me the hell alone?) Unlike my mother and my grandmother, I was gifted with the beginning spell of _Blades_, which came in rather handy against the merchant ship with far too many cannons in their arsenal. I was mediocre at best, but had been practicing in small doses to keep from sinking my ship. Oh? Did I mention I nearly put a hole in the starboard side of my vessel? Well. . . Needless to say I was a bit more careful now.

Reaver, for some Avo-awful reason, had pulled us in to port at a private station in Millfields, having us restock there and so forth from a few friends of his before we would head towards Bowerstone, the coronation in about seven hours. My crew would be staying on the ship, which suited, and all knew better than to try and make off with the _Contessa_, considering my newly acquired skill. Apparently, today being the coronation of my brother meant that a ball was being held tonight in his honor after all was said and done with. And Reaver planned on making an appearance, which meant I would be dressing up as well. To an extent, that is. . .

"You better be happy we arrived in the early morning hours, idiot!" I growl, ambling up to some manor nestled off in the back of Millfields, continuing to insult the man. "Just what in the hell are we doing, eh? I need to get to Bowerstone immediately and warn my brother!"

"Patience, pet," he grumbles, finding a key to the front gates in a secret hiding spot. In other words, stuck behind the actual lock. . . He hurries me along inside, and I glimpse a well-manicured courtyard, along with a cleaned up manor inside. Though everything was in darker colors, which I actually enjoyed to be honest, the place beamed with multitudes of lights from the huge windows. "Ah, one of my humble abodes. Unfortunately, your mother must have had it cleaned. There's no bottles of various spiked beverages upon the ground, or any signs of my ravenous parties. Really, once all is said and done with I will throw one in your honor. With me as the top of the attention ladder, of course, and you will dance and enjoy yourself. Oh. . ."

I tune him out as he continues to ramble on about the place, following him into a room with the insignia of the pirate, the double 'R's. He heads to a bookshelf, pulling a certain leather-bound object from said shelf as it slides open, revealing another bedroom altogether. Though, this one sported various manacles and torture devices, along with a cage large enough for a person in the corner.

"What in the hell? Reaver, do you have a freaky fetish I should know about?" I gape, seeing all the strange metal creations attached to the walls, ceilings, and all other places he could squeeze something of debauchery in. He decides not to give a spoken answer, gracing a dashing and malevolent smirk in my direction. Oh what a frenzy that smirk sent me into, though I restrained it to devilish images inside my head to keep my dignity in tact.

"Ah, here we are!" He mumbles, opening a door behind a tapestry off to the side and waltzing in. I peek my head through, then gape at the massive room. He had a full scale weaponry, filled with all sorts of exotic weapons on priceless pillows in glass all over the place. Following the theme of the house, more paintings of the man were emblazoned upon the walls, making my stomach churn. Though, I would probably do such a thing too, I suppose. No, I highly doubt it. . . I would get tired of looking at myself all the time.

Reaver pulls a new _Dragonstomper .48 _from its case, his old one going into a different display with the appropriate plaque. Next he pulls out a gun marked _Reaver Industries Perforator_, sticking it in a new holster on the opposite leg, restocking his bullets and so forth. I slap down a few coins, the man staring at them with a slight laugh. He easily stuffs them back into my pocket, handing me a bag of bullets.

"As if I need your money, pet. I'm wealthier than the royal family and all it's real estate. Just remember, you are mine, and mine alone." He rotates his rare pistol on his finger elegantly, stuffing it into the usual holster and grinning like a madman.

I raise a brow, feeling a blush trying to creep on my cheeks and making me turn around to avoid any embarrassment. "Since when did we establish that I am your property, eh Reaver?" A roll of my eyes is given, back to him, before I make my way towards the door. We needed to get back on the ship and head directly to Bowerstone. We only had a few more hours before the coronation.

A hand stops me, and I immediately halt at Reaver's sudden contact. "Now, my little Alouette," he coos, "think about it slowly. You are immortal. I am immortal, and a handsome devil at that," my heart had started to beat harder, nearly pounding from my chest. He was circling me as a hungry balverine would and my guard was up despite my raging emotions. "We could make a delightful little pair, we could. Of course, not exclusively as you know, but you seem as if you would fit right in."

"Reaver, shut the hell up before I bash that face of yours in, immortal," I grind my teeth together, bumping past him angrily and heading towards the docks. "You have half an hour before I leave without you, wretch!" I would never let him know just how _enticing_ his offer was.

I storm to the ship and arrive without too much delay. I had explored all over Albion and could easily find my way around, especially on land. A girl can only properly sail a ship when she can reach the helm after all, and the beginning of my years were used on land. I am greeted fondly on board by the few men that had already been well rested enough while the majority worked the night shift or partied. I allowed it, considering we were so close to our destination and it would not make a difference, as long as someone that wasn't drunk off their ass steered.

Speaking of a drink, ignoring the early time it was in the day, I snatch the nearest bottle from whoever's hands it had been in, heartily drinking it down and growling to myself at my frustrations. It was nothing like my own private stock had been, but at this point booze was booze after all. Perhaps I should leave Reaver in Millfields. That would get rid of him for now and allow me time to breathe. I needed to permanently rid myself of him, yet my heart ached at the thought.

Oh yeah, I was in _way _too deep already.

"You!" I point to one of Reaver's crew members that had come aboard during our nasty encounter with the kraken. I slam some gold coins in his hand and give him a hearty glare. "Go to the mansion in the furthermost part of Millfields, Reaver's, and look for his stupid little symbol. Once you find it, deliver him a message for me. Tell him I had to leave immediately and he can catch a carriage or something off to the palace. If I find out he never received the message and you ran off with my gold, _I will find you._ If you want your share of the treasures from our raids, meet us at the port in Bowerstone Market in a few days."

"Aye, Capt'n!" He salutes, mouth struggling into a grin with a whole mouth of missing teeth, save one rotten one. I nearly gag at the odor coming from his mouth, covering my own and nose and shooing him off hurriedly to save myself from a certain death by poor hygiene.

Once he is far enough away to allow me to breathe, I start shouting commands off, personally helping to pull up our multiple anchors. (Big ships need a lot of counterweight to hold them down!) I get the ship moving as quickly as possible, feeling the sweat rolling off my brow from the slight heat in the cove of a port we had 'parked' in. Now, wind blew against my face once more and I was content, completely at home on the sea.

"Decided to leave that irritating fellow behind, I see Capt'n," Hale murmurs delightfully, beaming with his glee in the matter. I ignore my first mate, steering the ship dutifully and paying mind to the changing winds. Something was definitely amiss on the seas, and I wondered how dangerous it would be tonight. For now, I needed to worry about getting to the castle and warning my brother.

_**-:.: (To The Age of Ages ):.:-**_

"Deryn!" I holler, slamming open the doors to the man's illustrious and well-decorated bedroom, a gaggle of guards hurrying after me to stop any funny business and expel the rebel from their castle. Said brother stood upon a short pedestal, seamstresses working diligently on his kingly ensemble, and I could not help but notice the nauseous look scattered upon his normally handsome face. "Deryn! I must speak with you. _Now! _And call off these wretched, pathetic guards, would you? I really don't feel like fighting the law today."

"Everyone out, now," the blonde calls, ushering even his seamstresses from the room and leaving us alone. He runs from his spot atop the raised pavilion, wrapping his arms tightly around me. I sigh, returning the gesture and hugging him quickly. "I have missed you sister. Things have been hard since Mum passed away. Two weeks to the day, and now I have to take over the throne that should be yours."

"I don't want it, trust me," I scoff, waving my hand about with a growl. "We have more important matters at hand, my brother. Bad tidings are on the horizon. I fear you will not want this coronation to continue despite this."

"Have you changed, my dearest Alouette?" Deryn murmurs, my younger brother surveying the differences in me. "You seem almost unreal, in a sense. Almost like that Reaver character did back when he was still in business with Mum and-. . ." He stops, eyes widening horrifically. "Have you made a deal with _The Shadow Court, _Alouette? How could you!"

"No, but we don't have time to explain in detail, love," I rush, wiping the hair frantically from my face. "Do you have a good whiskey floating about? I desperately need a drink after what I have been through the last some odd months on the seas." He motions towards a half-empty bottle on his desk, which I realize is why I could smell the faint aroma of it on his breath. Apparently he was just as nervous as his initial face had shown. I snatch it up, gulping it down and then turn back to him. "You have to call off this coronation, Deryn. At least for tonight."

"I know you are first in line Sis, but Mum said in her will that it was fated that I became king of Albion in two weeks. Don't tell me you really do want the throne? You can have it, but only if you can make peace with her ghost," he sighs. "I don't want to be king. Too much responsibility."

"You will make a wonderful ruler, but not this evening," I choke on a dose of the booze. "I knew of our mother's death before you think I did, mate. Have you ever heard of the seer, Theresa? She was the one our mother always used to talk about in her old hero tales."

"Of course I know of her! She was the one who lead our grandmother on to become a hero and then continued on to our mother later," he adds, snatching the bottle from my hands and taking a pathetic drink of it. "And how did you find out about our mother's death?"

"I'll condense it, for we don't have the time. You aren't listening to me, Deryn! I have the blood of the hero in my veins, something you were not given when you were born," I show a quick flash of my Will, silencing his awe while I continue, "Theresa and Mother both led me to an island in the middle of the Seas of Erytheia, and after dealing with a few close encounters with death, I made it. Once there, Reaver and I-. . ."

"Wait, Reaver?" His eyes narrow dangerously. "Is that the man Mum sent you after? I cannot believe it! Why would she need him to come back?"

"Shut up, you fool!" I hiss. "I picked him up in Debal, as Mother asked. Anyways, we battled fierce monsters, nearly killing the two of in the process _again_, and then found the cave my heart told me to go to. We battled some troll, the likes of which do not exist in even the legends, and then found a strange break in the final chamber of the cave.

"Theresa popped up, explained to me that only one with the blood of our family's lineage and that of a hero could drink these waters for the purposes they were meant. Mother came to me as well and said she had died and apologized for my imprisonment. Apparently, there was a reason behind it and Theresa had something to do with it. Anyways, they all left after telling me the water was the stuff one would drink to make them immortal, but not at the risk of sacrificing to the _Shadow Court_. I believe that any other, besides the few people in our family that has _actual _hero-blood, would die if they consumed it. Merely a theory, so don't get ideas.

"Theresa also told me of an evil that is coming to Albion, one more powerful than the Crawler our mother killed off all those years ago. Apparently it is some horrendous creature that has the power over the seas and plans on covering all of the world- Albion, Samarkand, Aurora, and so forth- in never-ending waters. Despite how great this sounded at first, even a pirateer such as myself would have nowhere to make port and get the necessities it takes to survive, such as fresh water. That, and despite what everyone believes I actually care deeply for the people of Albion as a whole. I suppose it is the good in my soul, wherever that may be.

"But that was not all. Mother told me herself in that cave, before she left, that two weeks from that very day you would be crowned King Deryn of Albion. I came back for your coronation, but not for the reasons you assume. She also spoke of your death as well, should I not make it in time back to the castle on this very day. Someone is going to try and kill you at your coronation, and I suppose it is the perpetrator. Now, usually I would say to go through with it and it would bring forth the creature of mass destruction, but something deep in my bones tells me not to allow you to do this today. I have been following my heart since Theresa told me to, and it has not failed me yet. Please, you must not get crowned today, my brother. Please, wait until a later date. I will personally attend you on that day, or go rot in a cell if you would prefer. Just _don't do this today! _I, Alouette of the Royal Family of Albion, _beg _of you. And trust me love, I don't beg."

He stares at me, breathing heavily from the quickness of my explanation, nearly doubled over from the strain and never realizing just how rapid I had spokem. It had taken little time and his reactions throughout the ordeal signaled he was listening intently to what I had to say, despite the rapidity of it all. Deryn sighs, sitting in the chair behind his desk and rubbing his head, as if truly in pain.

"I have already informed all of Albion of this coronation, Alouette," he whispers hoarsely, and I realize how aged he appeared. This whole 'crowning' situation had really worn him out, as it seemed. "But, if all of what you said is true, then there is no choice but to stop the crowning. I cannot distrust the word of a hero of our family, and you have proven you are the next one to take on the role of protector of these lands."

Deryn stands, placing both hands on my shoulders. He was analyzing me again, but in a new light and not one of scrutiny as before. "I trust you, my sister, and I will until my death. Despite all that you have been through, I know you would never betray me purposefully. Hold on a moment," he opens the door up, hollering down the hallway and having a man run forward. "James, please inform all that the coronation will not occur on this eve, but the grand ball will still be held at the castle in the ballroom and foyer. I want everyone to know. Hurry, the coronation was scheduled for just a few hours from now."

Once the door is shut once more and my brother comes closer, I sit heavily on his thick bedding, sighing in relief. "I feel loads better all ready. But this does not mean we are not still in danger, love. How is the treasury for our war funds? Please tell me we are set."

"Mum left a fortune within it from owning most of Albion and Aurora both," he chuckles. "I can barely see her numerous trophies, contracts, and promises by this point. We are good in case of a war, my dear. Still, we will hold this ball, but I will have plenty of guards stationed inside the walls and out. That, and my darling sister will be there, won't she?"

"I wouldn't miss it," I grin. "Besides, it is your birthday party too, isn't it?" His face turns to one of sheer shock. "Oh yes, the magnificent Alouette never forgets such a day, even in my cell during those years. Well, I remembered a few, considering I lost track of days and years and such." We share a hardy laugh, and I at last feel as if I was comfortable with a part of my family, as if I was home- well as close to home as a soul meant for the sea could be on land. "Do you expect me to wear a ridiculous dress tonight?"

"The most ridiculous of all, love. Head to your room and I'll get the maids to fetch you a dress that is suiting to your personality," Deryn heads behind his curtain to remove his kingly attire, coming out in something more laid-back and appropriate. "You must be hungry for a good meal. How about we go and eat in the dining room before we get ready, hmm?"

"Sounds like one of the best ideas I have heard in ages! Off to the dining room, dearest!"

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**REVIEW! REEEEEEEEEEEVVVVVVVVVVVVVVII IIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWW! NOW! =]**


	14. XIV: Seductive Stranger

**Author's Note: **Well, I had this one completely edited and ready to go, but accidentally deleted it. FML. Anyways, I want to update all the time now, if only to answer my reviewers. =] Unfortunately, I'm not an 'update a day' writer, so get used to it. I have decided, once I've finished this story off, to try and start up _Vows of the Storm_ again, if only because I found my inspiration yesterday while reading some YYH fanfics. Also, GO LOOK AT MY COSPLAY! Lol, I just love for everyone to see how amazing of a Reaver I turned out as. Also, this story started off as 17 chapters, but I've gone through and added more to it, so it should be anywhere from 20 to 30 now. We'll just have to see. I just can't end it as swiftly as I had before. I need to develop Reaver and Deryn a bit. Apparently Deryn has turned into a character more want to know about, and thus he stars in the next few chapters in his _point of view_... Anyways, here's a turning point all of you might or might not enjoy. =]

**Jellic0: **Oh my, you surely review a lot... -huggles- I LOVE IT! Two reviews I have yet to answer for you, so here we go... Everyone loves a good sex slave! Besides, does it not fit for Reaver and Alouette's amazing personalities? It is simply the best way to make a deal between the two deviants. =] And poor Reaver does tend to get forced into being a hero quite a bit. I feel bad for him in a way, but at the same time he deserves it. A huge thank you to the compliments on my costume and _Dragonstomper .48_. I don't believe his _Reaver Industries Perforator_ from the third game did him enough justice, so I said 'screw it' and made the gun I associate with him more. =] If you need ANY help whatsoever when you decide to start working on your costume, I have plenty of pointers and little 'don't's I experienced during my trivial pursuit of making the whole damn thing. Now, second review: I certainly could only take poor Reaver in doses. He's so... narcissistic all the time. I do love how self-indulged he is, but it proves frustrating, even to write about lol. Ooh, and you are quite good at guessing when I make my twists, dearest. This is the ball edition and you will certainly see what I have in store for our dearest Alouette and her dashing pirate. In regards to Deryn, I actually created the next two chapters of him for you. =] I realized he did not have a big role in the story beforehand and decided to give a bit of insight into him. Now, please enjoy the read and tell me what you think! [Damn this was a long reply...]  
**Guest:** Well, I'm not sure who you are but I will address you anyways, haha. I'll keep updating as long as my lovely readers keep reviewing me. I do love to hear what all of you think is going to happen. It excites me, truly.  
**chellcat86: **I actually have a British friend and I believe we discovered our time is off by about 7 or 8 hours. I can't quite recall, but if it is 7 a.m. there, it's about midnight here. =] Tell him to quite keeping Mommy up! She needs her sleep so when he decides to make an appearance he can keep you up all the damn time lol. What a great Christmas present! =D Well now I feel retarded with the whole shadowwoods things lmfao... Oh well. I'm a bit crazy anyways. XD Well I hope you enjoy the cosplay pics! This chapter is for you as well darling, considering you are one of my most avid reviewers and have been. If all of you keep reviewing like this, there might even be a sequel. Not sure and it definitely wouldn't be too soon after. Or I might even make a new Reaver story, since I do love him so very much. In the next Fable, not _Fable: The Journey_, if he isn't marry-able I am protesting Lionhead. XD

ON TO THE STORY!

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**Chapter Fourteen: Seductive Stranger**

I glare in the mirror at my dress, screaming for Deryn to 'get his ass in here before I found him and murdered him', knowing he was just a wall away from me. He was there in an instant, dressed in a beautiful array of whites, ivories, and gold for the grand ball being held in his honor this evening, most not realizing it was truly the birthday of the soon-to-be king.

"Wow, don't you look stunning!" He chuckles, gently lifting one piece of the elaborate skirt. "It was one of Mum's, and I personally picked it out. Seemed to suit you the best, I have to say. What's so wrong?"

"What's so wrong?" I question heatedly. "Say you were attacked, there's little I could do in this monstrosity of a dress. I may have a few weapons concealed on me, but that does _not _make things any better, if you ask me! Can't I simply wear a pair of pants and a nice corset? I pull it off splendidly, after all."

"Nope. It is my birthday, elder sister, and you have always worn a dress to my parties, if you don't recall," Deryn grins wildly and I glower in response, my hair pulled up into an intricate bun on the back of my head, decorated with glimmering diamonds and pearls as a few curled pieces hung delicately around my face. "Just hurry up and ready yourself would you? In my opinion the maids did a splendid job on the hair and makeup, darling. You've never looked more like a woman!"

Obviously, he hurries to leave my room, allowing me stare angrily at the enormous mirror on the wall. The dress was beautiful, don't get me wrong. It was a very, _very _deep shade of red satin, appearing almost black altogether, and crimped all over the massive skirt that draped against the floor. The corset was embroidered in a brilliant gold, real of course, as was the end of the skirt. My breasts had never hurt so badly, I believe, considering they were pushed up to insane proportions, and I did not wear any of my rings. The tattoo that had marked me as a pirate, which sat upon my heart, was covered in pounds of makeup. An expensive necklace made entirely of diamonds and pearls was on my neck, a choker of many layers at first, then turning into a grand display of loops across my slender collarbone.

I wore only a little bit of dark eye shadow for my makeup, my lips glossed over and still as red as ever despite the fact that there was no lipstick on them. I wondered if the immortality thing had decided to keep my lips stained as they were when I drank the water, but did not really think too hard on it. Underneath all of this menagerie of torturous clothing was a set of heels that were much like the boots I usually wore on my ship. That was probably the only bit of comfort I had.

When I was satisfied- or rather, when I was sick of staring at the frightening image of a noblewoman in my mirror- I left the room and found Deryn waiting diligently for me. He offers an arm, leading me through the multitudes of halls I could navigate with my eyes closed, then to the top of the stairs in a place where we could not be seen.

"Must I walk down with you and get a grand introduction, _Prince_?" I scoff, smiling at him to signify I was playing. Though, I really did not want to walk down that damnable staircase and be introduced as a princess, considering I had not felt like one in over a decade. I was a pirate, not a royal, and that was all there was to it.

"Of course you must! You always walk down with me, considering all the women I have tried to date wound up running away scared from my frightening older sister. That, and during your imprisonment, I actually had to have a woman hanged for trying to rape and murder me in my sleep, just because I was a prince and I had taken her on a single date," he recalls with a shudder. "Obviously I have been out of the dating business for a bit."

"You better be happy she's dead, or I would have fed her to the sirens," I murmur, hearing the call of the trumpets and the room growing quiet below us. Well, here we go...

Deryn leads me to the very top of the stairs, glancing out at the hundreds of people in the room. I scan for any that looked suspicious, and catch the gleam of a familiar face, or so I thought. Of course Reaver would be here! He had mentioned he would, and now I would have to deal with the angry wrath of a man whom I left onshore, sailing away with the remaining bits of his crew. Oops?

"Announcing Prince Deryn and Princess Alouette, the last remaining of the Royal Family of Albion!"

The clapping is instantaneous and I glide down the staircase and into the foyer with Deryn. "You owe me twice now. Once for saving your life about the coronation, and twice for putting me in pirate _hell_!"

"Oh liven up!" He laughs loudly, ending our descent at last and kissing me on the cheek. I return the favor, giving a greeting to the filled saturnalia. Once that is over and done with, the two of us go our separate ways to mingle, or in my case. . . Drink. Heavily. Wine never sounded so damn good...

I find the bar where drinks were set up and a bartender waited for any other requests. I hold my hand out, ordering a full bottle of the best wine we had, disregarding the glass and beginning to drink excessively. It was gone in no time, and unfortunately my tolerance was too high to even feel a bit woozy.

"Care to dance, lovely?" I hear a coo behind me, turning to find Reaver with a top hat on and a fancier version of his industrialist ensemble. "Nasty little trick you played on me today, my dear little hero."

"I needed to speak to my brother and you were taking too long," I hiss in response, but grab his hand nonetheless. "I'm sure you feel right at home in these events. I certainly feel like a _fish out of water_, in a sense. I hate balls, but love parties. This is a mixture of both, and I have realized from past experiences that I _hate_ it the most."

"Ah, but you certainly look _ravenous_, if I must say, my little minx," he hums, pulling my body flush to his. "I feel like taking you right here on this dance floor. Of course, I'm sure you would thoroughly enjoy it after all. So many people around to hear you scream..."

"Reaver, I will kill you. Just remember that. I may look like a harmless, pathetic noble, but I have more weapons on me than you can count," I snort, the dance turning into something faster and more luscious. He takes the change majestically, dancing easily to the beat. I was slowly growing more and more heat between my legs at my core, feeling the way he brushed against me with such ease. Knowing Reaver, it was completely on purpose.

"Ah, could there be one here?" Reaver whispers, grabbing my leg as part of the dance goes, hiking it up expertly. I growl, knowing he felt the thigh holster for my _Dragonstomper_ and pushing his roaming hands off. Oh, how I was _so_ enjoying that. I needed him. . . _badly_. "What about here?" He runs his fingers across the bottom edge of my corset, feeling the knife I had stashed in said place.

"Is this a game now?" I could not help but laugh, nervously trying to hide my arousal. "There's two more, can you find them?" His smirk was challenging, dashing, and I believe I fell more in love with him once I saw it. I had also noted that the two of us had a strange fascination with playing games and making splendid deals with one another. It made things a bit more interesting... I suppose at least...

I wanted to have a free life at sea, yes, but some things in me had changed since Debal, slowly but absolutely. My nightly romps with my crew had dwindled down to none at all, and my last experience was well before we made it to the Isle of Mihandrogs. Which meant I had gone a good month now without proper sex, further proving just how much I wanted _Reaver_ and only _Reaver_, the king of all the pirating world and the only man to have ever conquered my heart.

I cannot digress how distressing it is to have fallen in love with a man that could never love you back. I was miserable every time I thought of it, knowing he only wanted me for a good romp, which everyone knew I was more than most could handle. Though he had suggested we basically date one another, he had not meant exclusively. I believed that a good threesome or orgy every now and again would be wonderful, but not every night as he put it. Even then, I was unsure how I felt about even doing the two stated now.

_'Maybe I should go on a sex binge to get over him. It might work…' _I lick my lips, knowing I could give it a go. Of course, I highly doubted it would work with how very deep I had dug this hole for myself. Perhaps a shallow grave? Ah, more than likely.

"Ah, how about here?" Reaver was now really close, his face lowered more to mine and lips almost touching. I wanted so badly just to close the distance, remembering how delightful his kiss was in the cave on that deadly little spit of land. His fingers touch my bun, feeling the small, intricate handle of a miniscule and well-placed knife. "Oh, there is, isn't there, my pet?"

"Reaver, you need to stop before you get yourself in too deep," I whisper, though I wondered if I had said that more for him or myself. "You may want to start something here, but we have bigger matters on our hands. Remember that."

"But something as glorifying as this could not possibly change the world as we know it, my little Alouette," he coos, then turns and dips me as the song begins to crash to a chorusing close. I was breathing heavily, mainly because I could barely breathe at all in this contraption of a corset, and felt my chest heaving for the man's wandering eyes.

"Ah, you lose love. Seems you could not find the last one before the dance ended," I chuckle darkly, still dipped low with the man leaning dangerously over me. A hand glides expertly from my navel to my collarbone, stopping in the valley of my breasts and snickering.

"Oh, I clearly forgot to mention this one, dear," Reaver pulls me back up, ending the game and winning after all. I glower at him, though the face falls moments later and I join him in a laugh, walking with the beautiful creature off the dance floor, applause following us at how splendid of a couple we had made and how intricate our dance had been. "Now that all of that is over, I feel you have been keeping a secret from me, pet. Do tell."

A glass of wine was in my hands as he passes it off, and I force the color to stay in my face, knowing I was growing whiter than a banshee. Fortunately, the lighting did not allow this little episode to be seen by the delightful immortal beside me. "I could not possibly know what you mean, Reaver. I am usually honest with you, if you haven't realized. Even for being a pirate, that is. . ."

"I've noticed that you have not had a single night of pleasure, sex I mean, since before my ship sank. Now why is that, hmm?" He was smirking, and I felt my heart trying to beat out of my chest. Did he know how I felt? Had he realized? No, he could not have!

"It could be the fact that I have either been unconscious or sharing a room with you, if you hadn't realized, wretch," I hiss, making up a splendid spur-of-the-moment cover-up for the lack of bedroom misgivings. "Why are you so worried over whom I fuck and whom I don't? I know you wish it were you in my bed, but sadly we have a deal."

"Then prove you aren't secretly falling in love with a dashing pirate. Find a consort and go at it, then," he idly remarks, as if it were the most natural thing in the world for him to say, despite how raunchy. I glare, the first sentence nearly making me sick to my stomach, then turn on heel and scan the crowd. "Ah, not a single one of even a remote attractiveness here, pet."

"Save _me_, lovey," I hear murmured from behind me. Hale had attended, wearing clothing of a richer sort that did not suit him in the slightest. "Like my clothes, eh? Cost half a wereverine fur, it did. Seems those things sell for tens of thousands in gold a piece, so rare they are yes."

"Who let a mutt like you attend?" Reaver raises one of his brows, scanning the attractive man up and down slowly. "You don't even know how to speak _properly_, I say. You sound as if you have never been to a party like this in all of your measly life."

"I say, I can speak far more properly than you believe, mate," Hale growls, his words perfect and very much like that of a gentleman. "I been practicing. _I've_. . ." He rubs the back of his neck and blushes, glaring at the floor at his small error.

"Well, you clean up pretty damn good, Hale," I purr, my eyes never leaving him and the smile crawling on my face. Reaver wants me to prove I don't love him, when in all reality I did, and I could do so with Hale. . . This thought brought back the images Theresa showed me, and deja vu hit me hard in that instant.

The fancy clothing, the grand ball in a familiar setting. . . This seemed like the situation where one of the two men would kill one another. I bite my lip, pushing between the two as Hale gives the pirate an evil glare, the other a rather cocky glance with his hand on his pistol. I was about to start reprimanding them when a hand gently touches my shoulder. I turn, ready to give a good 'what for' to the man that was interrupting my interruption of a troubling fiasco, but stop and stare in awe.

The man was beautiful, handsome, _enthralling_, and that was only to look upon him. I thought Reaver was ungodly in visage, but he was _nothing _compared to this stranger. His hair was dark, short and waving with eyes as blue as the seas, stormy in a way that made it look as if the ocean were aflame with breath-taking rains. His skin was stained from the sun, clean-shaven with a gleaming white smile. He wore clothing of a brilliant black, hints of deep blue and gold within the ensemble, and obviously of rich material.

"And just who might you be?" Reaver scoffs, though even he was checking out this mysterious man, probably in his later twenties or very early thirties. "I have never seen you before, and I am sure I would remember a face like _that_. Of course, it is nowhere near as dashing as my own, right Alouette?"

I did not answer, busy staring within those mesmerizing blue eyes, hearting thudding rapidly in my ribcage. He offers his hand to me, and I immediately place my own slender digits in his, the man's luscious mouth coming down to meet my knuckles. His eyes did not leave mine, the moment wrapped in time and as if none were around. I was feeling hot under the collar, in a matter of speaking, and the hand that was not placed within his moves over my heart, the covered tattoo, and the priceless necklace.

"My Lady, I am Roman of the northern continent. I have traveled a very long way to meet you," Roman, the mysterious stranger, says gently in the most musical, deep voice I have ever heard in all my lifetime, and probably in all the ones to come. A man as delicious as him had come from so far as the Northern Continent to meet _me_? Oh, he certainly knew how to flatter a woman, pirate or not.

"To meet. . . _me_?" I smile, batting my eyelashes flirtatiously. "Now why on Earth would you do that?"

"Alouette, what are you doing?" Hale growls, trying to break my concentration on this newcomer. I did not know he was feeling threatened, seeing the devilishly good looks of this man. Who wouldn't be threatened though? If I were a man, I would have ran with my tail between my legs.

"I came because I heard of a queen amongst pirates, a princess and an exile. She is rumored to be beautiful beyond compare, ethereal like that of an angel of the sea, a siren even," he calls, rubbing away the makeup on my tattoo and admiring it in a way none at this party, save Hale or Reaver could. "Would you care to dance with me?"

"I thought you would never ask," I whisper, heading towards the dance floor and pulling close to this man I was so enchanted by. Who was _Reaver_ again. . .?

**_:.:-( To The Age of Ages )-:.:_**

_Reaver's Point of View  
First Persons_

"I can't believe she just ran off with that man!" Hale snarls, glaring daggers towards the two laughing, dancing. I had caught myself giving the same look, but quickly covered it and sighed to myself. Was I really jealous because _my _Alouette was off gallivanting with a man of such beautiful stature? No, I was Reaver! I was not jealous of anyone.

Though, I had brought this upon myself after all. I had basically told her to go off and find another to have her way with in a simple jest, which she was apparently taking a little too seriously. Could that mean she was truly trying to hide something from me? Perhaps the little minx _was_ in love with me, and that was not very hard to understand. I am the _illustrious _Reaver, after all, but I wanted her to fawn after me alone, not some complete stranger despite how marvelous he was to stare after.

Alouette had her back turned to us in their dance, and the man- _Ronan_, I believe he had said- turns his eyes towards me. A smirk that radiated malice curled into his luscious mouth, eyes changing into something more fiendish for a moment. He was not human after all, and now he was trying to ensnare _my _little pirate into his spider's web. For now, I would let her enjoy herself, but I would not let that cretin out of my sight.

Apparently, I was in much deeper than I believed.

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**REEEEEEEEEVVVVVVVVVVVVIIIIII IIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EWWWWWWWWWWW! If you can't understand that, you are not only an idiot but not worthy of dear Reaver. Now, show me how worthy you are by giving a dashing little REVIEW, alright pets? -blows kiss-**


	15. XV: Deryn and Sparrow

**Author's Note: **THIS CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO CHELLCAT86! I MISSED HER BIRTHDAY AND FEEL LIKE SHIT, BUT I'LL ADDRESS YOU MORE IN YOUR REVIEW REPLY! SO SORRY DEAR! Now, in other news... More people wanted to know about our darling Prince Deryn, Alouette's younger brother. Well, here you go darlings! This chapter is mainly about him and, obviously from the title, Sparrow! We all love Grandmother Sparrow, after all... Anyways, on to my review replies:

**ObsessedFableFreak:**-takes cookie and swallows it hole- COOKIE! I LOOOOOVE COOKIES! -huggles- See, you know how to sway a girl to update, ha! You give her sweets. XD Everyone seems to want a duel, but alas it does not come... yet? It might later, I'm not sure with me fucking with all the chapters. -.- I can never be satisfied, ha. Thank you for your immensely wonderful compliments and do keep reading and reviewing! I write for people like you!

**chellcat86: **DARLING! PLEASE FORGIVE ME FOR NOT POSTING THIS SOONER! -kneels and kisses her feet- I always get emails about my reviews, and I won't lie to you: I never got one and was a tad bit sad about it, thus I haven't updated because I had a secret hope that you would review soon. . Well, apparently you did and I look like a jackass lol. So far, with my add-ins, its like 21 chaps so far, but I might be adding more. I kinda want to do a sequel, but I have to keep the fans for my Kakashi story satiated. . Shit, I slack in updating one story and work on another... Oops.. IF THEY DEDICATED AN ENTIRE GAME TO REAVER I WOULD NEVER SLEEP! O.O I would have to take off of work for like two weeks just so I could play it through a dozen+ times, ha! And if I have to buy the new console just for Fable IV [you know which I mean] I will preorder that bitch with the game too. -nods nods- I love sexual tension and I thought their dance would make a few undies wet. XD -jabs her- You know you were one! XD Lol! Poor Alouette literally has the world on her shoulders. -.- You would think it would make her a little more serious on the issue. Roman is the product of an over-stimulated imagination, to say the least. He's everything I like in a man. No, I take that back: Reaver really is my ideal man. Powerful, sexy, good under the sheets -wink-, and when he gets something he wants, he covets it. Yup, my husband right there. . Lol. I don't personally believe anyone is more attractive than Reaver, so Alouette must be hood-winked. [I talk about her as if she is a real person and not someone I'm creating. -.- Wtf?] And actually, since it really won't ruin anything due to this chapter, no, Hale and Reaver are not gonna duke it out. The appearance of Roman threw everything off balance in that future dream sequence. XD AND NOW: HAPPY [LATE] BIRTHDAY TO YOU! HAPPY [LATE] BIRTHDAY TO YOU! HAPPY [LATE] BIRTHDAY MY DARLING CHELLCAT! HAPPY [LATE] BIRTHDAY TO YOUUUUUUU~! -cough, hacks, dies-

**Guest:** I wonder if you are the same anon as last time? XD Anyways, thank you for the review my love! Just hearing positive feedback makes my day!  
**GoldenPassion: **Yes, I wanted Alouette to be like any normal person [in a way] and slowly change from her life experiences, such as in the story. She becomes hardened and even more cruel after her imprisonment. Finding out about her mother really caring hurt her, scared her, and it shows. Now she is all jumbled up inside and does not know what the hell to do. =D In a small, deep down way, I modeled her after myself. I have a secret rebellious streak [no so secretive when you get me mad enough -.-], but with a wild, murderous intent behind her which I don't carry lol. Keep reviewing darling!

**Author's Note, Cont'd:** I also wanted to add that I am going to start a Yu Yu Hakusho story soon, with Hiei as the love interest. I am absolutely in love with him, you see, [almost as much as Reaver, le gasp!] and had an overwhelming urge to start something. It seems I like to have the original character star as a villian, framed or not. It has the same general concept but with a lot more twists and turns. To those of you that like **YYH, **please keep an eye out for the next big thing from NixxH... _Praying for Closer: Kotone [OC] x Hiei Jaganshi._For a long, interesting summary, check out my profile. I have oodles of stories behind-the-scenes I might never release that you might want to nag me to finish and publish. XD

**FINALLY! ON WITH THE SHOW! DERYN AND SPARROW, HERE WE COME!**

* * *

**Chapter Fifteen: Deryn and Sparrow**

"Alouette!" Deryn calls for the thousandth time, following me through the garden after having searched for hours. It had been a grand total of two days since his elaborate party, and things had been a bit different since then.

That night, I had of course had my tryst with Roman, the man a deviant in bed and better than any I had ever taken to my chambers, aboard the ship, at port, or even within the walls of the castle before I had been imprisoned. Surprisingly, well I suppose not considering it is _me _we are talking about, he had actually made a point of spending time with me since then. How could I say no to a man so enthralling?

This had also given me time to rub my nightly escapade in Reaver's smug face, proving to him I was not in love with him at all. Well, _he _thought that, as far as I believed, but we all know how far my inner feelings ran for the man. Yet, things had felt… different since then. I'm not sure how to explain it exactly, but I was starting to think of him less and less with each of Roman's visits, mind clouded most of the time in the presence of the man.

"What Deryn?" I snap at long last, tugging at the corset that showed ample skin off to all the nervous staff and the few nobles flitting about our home. Well, as close to home as land can be for me, that is. "Are you going to stalk me all evening?"

He snatches up my arm, and if it were any other I would have taken my gun from my thigh holster and shot him point blank. The man dragged me ruthlessly to the War Room, throwing me in a chair and rubbing his wearied face with his large palms. He takes his own seat behind the desk, staring at me as if I had grown a second head.

"You know, when you first got here I swore you had a thing for Reaver," he comments easily, earning a bit of a snort and a snatch at the pricey bottle on his desk. He removes it from my reach, pouring two glasses and proceeding to hand me one of the two. "As happy as it makes me to not see him hanging off of you, I know for a fact that I like him better than this character you've been running about with. He's no good, Alouette my dear."

"Since when have I taken your advice, especially in romance, Brother?" I finish off the glass, shoving it towards him for another round of the stout drink. "Shouldn't you be off finding a suitor so you can take the throne and so forth?"

"See, this is what I mean!" His hands slam upon the desk, startling me. That was nothing like the normal Deryn, for his rage was saved only for desperate times. Perhaps he was desperate at this point, but it made no sense to me. "We have a war upon us and you are more worried about romancing some noble! This is _not_ my Alouette. This is _not _the Pirate Queen I have come to respect above all others! Where have you gone and what have you done with my wicked sister?"

I stand abruptly, the chair falling over behind me and waltz up to him with a glint of hatred in my eye. I could never really hate my brother, for he was the only one to ever stand by me in my time of need. He had tried countless times to visit me in prison, but it had never been allowed.

"If you ever use this tone with me again, Deryn," I whisper threateningly, hand grazing the butt of my weapon, "you will meet the business end of my _Dragonstomper .48_. Is that clear? If I decide I want to distance myself from the industry tycoon, the Pirate King, and the vilest man I have ever happened across, it is _my_ decision. If I decide to have an affair with a noble who is the most amazing man to ever wind up under my sheets, it is also _my _decision."

"Mother would be sick to see you like this," he scowls, shaking his head and standing as well, the same glare upon his face as seen in mine. "You know, it would not be her either. Uncle Logan would have hated you in this moment."

My heart stops for a second, feeling as if I had been slapped, and I recoil from my brother immediately. "You would never know that. He is dead and has been for quite some time. He died a man with no children and had his own myriad of fateful experiences in his bedroom. He would be proud of me."

"No," he continues, "he wouldn't. You know, I loved Mother more than anything, but it was always Uncle Logan I wanted to impress with my skills at a sword. But it was never me his attention was given to. It was _you_, and he loved you more than he ever loved me. I will always be your only brother and love you more than I love the sun. Hell, I would destroy everything I hold dear if you needed me to, all to keep you happy and the loving sister you are today. Just remember this, would you? Our uncle was a man who favored very few, and you were at the top of that list. He truly would be ashamed of you."

I slap him hard across the cheek, turning and stomping out of the room. On my way, I knock over a priceless antique lamp and gold inlayed table, shattering both with the flick of my wrist. The Will lines I vaguely had across my skin flared red, burning into my eyes and allowing the force of my hand to crack the heavy door upon my leave, slamming it for all I was worth.

I did not have to take this. I needed to find Roman. I had a bit of anger I needed to release in the only way I was so very good at it.

Well, that and the servant I splayed across the floor with a bullet helped.

_**:.:-( To The Age of Ages )-:.:**_

**Deryn's Point of View  
**_First Persons_

I flop back behind my desk, mouth agape and rubbing the sore cheek from the blow Alouette had delivered. I knew it was nowhere near her hardest hit, but it certainly was nowhere near a tap either. Why was she acting this way all of a sudden? It was frightening, to say the least. She had always been one to prioritize rather well, meaning she would usually put Albion at the front of her mind in a time of need.

"Perhaps I know who to talk to." I stand from the plush chair, hurrying from the castle and rounding a horse up at the door. I told my usual guard to stay put, flicking my wrists and sending the horse flying towards the one man who had known her for ages, spending time both in her bed and by her side.

The docks were never so crowded in Bowerstone Market as I pulled my horse to a stop. One ship stood out amongst the rest, gleaming in the sunlight and emblazoned with a luxurious fierceness none could rival, save the ship my grandmother had hidden at a cove off the port of Bloodstone on a secret island.

A man was onboard, checking the rigging and helping to haul and sort the massive piles of gold and wares being brought aboard from selling the spoils of their last voyage. He spots me, giving a dazzling grin and sauntering to the gangplank as I dismounted.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of the princey coming to _The Ruthless Contessa_? If you are looking for our lovely capt'n, I'm afraid she be ashore, mate," Hale calls, allowing me to walk upon the deck and waver unsteadily at the tide lolling against the side of the ship.

"Actually, I need to talk to you, Mr. Hale," I murmur, gripping the railing and feeling the urge to vomit. My sister was the one for a sea-faring life, and I had only set foot aboard one when my mother needed me to do so. "Alouette has been acting strangely. I want to inquire on her relationship with Reaver."

His face falls into a deep scowl, brow furrowing with disdain. "Sore subject, mate. All I know is that they shared a cabin after his boat was sunk. When she boarded her once more from that spit of land in the middle of those wicked seas, she was different. Never seen the lass so… so… _fierce_. Snapped at everyone, she did, and stayed far from the bloke. Can't stand him, meself."

"Things are starting to become more clear," I whisper to myself, knuckles turning white from the voracity I clutched at the wood. "May I have a look about her cabin then?"

"She'd be right mad if she found out," he murmurs, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "The woman has not been aboard since we made port here. I s'pose I could let you, if you made me troubles worthwhile."

"I'll not have you hanged, if that's what you mean," I spat towards him, stumbling towards the door to her cabin. "Just show me the damn room so I can figure some things out, would you already?"

He lets out a bark of laughter, pulling a ring of keys from his belt and unlocking her quarters. "I'd shoot you if I didn't know the woman would kill me for it. Make it quick and don't make it obvious, eh."

I mumble my thanks, closing the door behind me and staring in awe at how well decorated the room was. Alouette's style poured from every orifice of the room, reminding me greatly of my grandmother Sparrow's own favorite scheme. I hurry through every drawer and nook, trying to find anything that she would have put her thoughts into.

I sit behind her desk, unable to find a trace of anything, nearly falling into depression at the thought. My mind begins to crawl, trying to think as my own sister did, and at last something strikes me. She would hide something so personal in a place none would dare go, fearful of their own death.

A case of weapons and priceless alcohol sat to my right against a wall near a door to a makeshift bathroom. My eyes are drawn to it, standing to carefully make my way to the fixture. It was locked, but luckily the woman had given me a few skills during her ramblings on pirating. I pick up a nearby letter opener, jiggling it within the lock and at last hearing a satisfying _click_. The doors are opened with ease, and my fingers skim across the base within. Sure enough, a hidden compartment swings open after placing my fingers hard against a notch of wood.

Only a book lie within, worn and aged beyond either mine or my sister's years. I gently pick it up, eyeing it warily before vacating the cabin and the ship altogether, ignoring Hale's calls and heading on my own back to the castle with the steed. Once I was finally back home, I warned all to leave me to my own devices and that the study was off limits to all but Leon Beck, son of my mother's trusted, deceased guard Walter Beck, and he was allowed in only at my call from the other side of the door.

I take my place in the high-backed chair behind the mahogany desk, flipping open the book and reading over a few grand adventures I vaguely remembered from my childhood. The signature at the bottom was none other than the woman that was prattled on about, mainly to the avidly listening ears of Alouette and myself, my grandmother Queen Sparrow, the first in our lineage to take the throne and begin the royal family. Our mother had told us many stories of her hero, her own mother.

I did not know how long I sat in the study reading all of her journal, some of it stained from years of tears, traces of blood, and smudges of dirt and proving its age all the same. I had already read parts of Reaver's own past, but one particular entry truly intrigued me.

_Date: Unknown_

_At last, the time had arrived where all of us would leave one another, splitting off to conquer and fulfill the rest of our destinies. It pained me, truly it did, and I had never realized just how close I had grown to these three._

_Hammer would be sorely missed, surely, for the two of us had come to terms that we were friends and the closest two that ever could be. One day I would go and visit her, sometime far from now I was sure for I had much to do, and I would try to learn what the Warrior Monks offered the world. I knew death would always be a part of my life, that of my family's as well, but that mattered little to me. I did not want to kill any more. Each body hurt my very soul, heart aching to never have to do so again. I would miss Hammer beyond words, yes…_

I had always known how close Grandmother Sparrow was with the woman, Hannah or Hammer, and remember how many, many years ago Mum spoke of Sparrow visiting the woman on her death bed, not quite living as long as my ancient, elderly family member had been at her death. She had mourned her for the rest of her short years, that I remembered being told as well.

_Garth, now that we had finally learned to communicate better, was off to Samarkand to rekindle his hope and love for his homeland. I wish I could one day sail to the land and visit it, but even I know there is far too much I have yet to accomplish to allow such a trip. Plus, the same reason that I have left the _Marianne_ on that spit of an island unknown to the world, is I do not have the legs or the heart to be a sailor. I've tried and I have failed. I'll send him letters though, which I will keep in this very journal._

Garth had been a very light topic on my grandmother's past, often speaking of how she knew he had died in Samarkand when the letters ceased and had learned of his death at the hands of none other than Reaver. She also had disputed this fact, mentioning that one as strong as Garth could never succumb to death so easily, which she later had learned the man was not dead at all and probably would live for centuries, as many Will Users of his caliber did. He had written her only one letter after his supposed death by Reaver, but she had never really spoken of what was within it to Valentina, thus I knew not what lurked within his pages.

_Reaver. Oh, the things I have to say on this man. Yes, I would miss him and I would miss him deeply at that. Many would believe the two of us loathed the other, but that will never truly be the case. I loved, no I _love _him with all my being. He may be a pompous, self-loathing, piece of arse, handsome, excruciatingly annoying man, but my heart belonged to him. I felt bad, I certainly did, for I had found a husband and married the man before meeting back up with Hammer in Rookridge. I planned on buying Fairfax Castle and moving him in, hoping for a child when the time comes, an heir._

_I'm getting off subject. There had been only one night that I can recall actually speaking with Reaver. Before I had taken the Dark Seal to the Shadow Court for him, I had stayed for a numerous amount of parties. I will never tell my future family this though, for they would frown upon my affair with the pirate. It was only a single, one-night tryst I had planned, but upon spending so much time with him I had been shown what he hid deep within. Reaver truly was a good man, a man in pain, and one that wanted the world because the world had wronged him so._

_This particular night was one spent within the Rear Passage underneath his home after he tried to betray me. I was not angry, as I should have been, but it was I who had ceased his advances upon me and he was trying to show his spite in the matter. Many believe our adventure through this passage was a quick few hours of killing guards, but again this is not true. In fact, we spent two nights underground in the cavern, setting up a camp and creating a healthy fire to keep us warm._

_During the first night, we bickered and argued many hours until it was obviously late into the night outside. When we finally ceased, relaxing over a bottle of aged scotch I had found in the clutches of a skeleton behind a boulder, we were decent to one another the rest of the evening. I found him more tolerable when he realized that only one was there to listen to his grandeur. This night, I spoke of my adventures thus far, answering all the questions he had, and was never really interrupted._

_The second night was what did it, honestly. This evening, now so close to the end of this extensive underground chamber, I found myself wrapped tightly in my Highwayman's Coat, the Hot Date outfit I preferred to wear not covering nearly enough skin. Reaver seemed better off, stoking the fire and trying to keep it ablaze. He did not shiver as I did, instead coming to place an arm around my shoulders to ward off the chill. So very unlike the pirate, he did not try to make advances and instead gazed into the fire. We spoke softly, unable to find any more stories to tell him of. Instead, he related his own tales to me, many lifetimes of sailing and partaking in debauchery unlike any other._

_It was not until, once again, very late into the night that the subject of Oakvale was brought up. In the beginning of his tales, after being questioned on it, he refused to speak of it. Again, he did not seem too enthusiastic on the idea of speaking over it, but for some reason the man placed his trust in me._

_Reaver, back when he was a good man and before he took the name he carries now, had a woman he loved, someone he cherished above all else. He spoke of turning to the Shadow Court upon realizing his horrid fear of death, something I do not carry, and was under the impression they would not take all of Oakvale, only a few souls until his first real sacrifice. What a surprise… The Shadow Court deceived him. I could have told him that one…_

_They wiped out the whole town and he made it just in time to cradle the woman he loved in his arms one last time, her life slipping away with each word. She told him she would always cherish him, and no blame was given to him on her account. She knew her death was soon, for a seer had told her so many years ago. I believe, as does Reaver, that Theresa had given her a slight guess as to her fate. It was also revealed, as she passed, that she carried Archon blood in her, the blood of heroes, but it was never awakened and she was not a hero. It was then that she gave all the skill she possessed to him, in one last dying breath, and he knew from that point on his life was changed._

_I did not doubt he cared for me then, or at least valued me enough to share his most secret memories. It was no surprise that he could not help but fall for the children of the Archon bloodline, that his destiny was a great one. It was then that I realized, no matter what I go through, I will always love this man, hold my heart for him. I also knew that I could never have him, for his heart was meant for another. I believe one of my descendants would tame him, but I am not sure which. Possibly a daughter in later years of one of my own children. I hoped for this, at least. I knew he would not forget me either, but that he would move on and that he would find someone to fix his tattered heart. Despite what my head told me, that night I bedded him again and decided I would never murmur my love for him. He knew. I knew. That was enough. This last time together would remain a secret until my diary is uncovered._

_I had to let him go to Samarkand without me, despite the forlorn look we gave the other upon his leave. We were never really meant to be. I would grow old- well, not as soon as regular mortals would- and I would die. He would thrive, living for the rest of eternity. I would see him again, I knew it._

_So any that read this in later years, hopefully one of my own, I ask you not to think so lowly of him, despite how awful he acts later. He is a man of a broken past and will never cease to remember the things he had done. Reaver will one day be a good man again, though it may be many lifetimes from now. Please, never think of him as he wishes you to. Reaver is a pirate, yes, but never one to be forgotten as a hero. As the Hero of Skill, in fact._

_Sparrow_

My eyes were narrowed, a small smile on my face as I read once more over this particular entry. My grandmother had been an excellent judge of character from what I was told and poured her heart into everything she had did. There was not a doubt in my mind that she had loved this man from her scrawling, but also that she trusted him. If Sparrow, first Queen of Albion of my family, had respected him, then I would as well.

I glance up at the clock, reading close to morning, and decided then to put away her journal and read more into it tomorrow. I needed to learn all I could of him now, almost like an addiction. For now, I would rest and in the morning I would return to my study after finishing up my royal duties. A war was upon us, and I needed to be able to trust in Reaver where my sister was failing.

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**R.E.V.I.E.W! And tell me what you think of the few twists I added. You know, Reaver's love having Archon blood... Sparrow and Reaver taking longer than the game told in the Rear Passage. Staying with Reaver longer before she actually took the Dark Seal to the Shadow Court. I hope you liked them. =]**

One last time: CHELLCAT! I'M SOOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRRRRRY ~!


	16. XVI: Alouette and Sparrow

**Author's Note: **Oh. My. Goodness. This is going to be a strange snippet. =] Our darling Grandmother Sparrow makes an appearance with Alouette as a star as well. It's all in Deryn's POV though, so we will see how you guys like this one! **ALL YU YU HAKUSHO FANS! **Check out the newest thing from NixxH, _Praying For Closure_, a Hiei x OC story! It's one of my personal faves out of my writings so far!

**Domonation:** I believe the villian should ALWAYS be handsome! If not, who do we have to drool over because of sheer sexy, evil goodness? -mouth watering- XD I just wish I had a picture drawn up of Roman, and Hale for that matter. It would make things so much easier to get excited over. . Eventually I might... Sorry, I'm rambling... KEEP REVIEWING DARLING!  
**ChellCat86:** I don't know why, but my reviewing list hates you. And I mean HATES you... I got the email notifying me of your review this time, but it only lets me see so much. And then, when I checked FF and my reviews on TTAOA, YOU'RE NOT THERE! Thus, I'll only be responding to HALF of your review, mainly because I know how lengthy you get with them (which I LOVE!) and realized it must have cut it in two, at the very least that is. Thank you for the compliment on my Reaver cosplay. I thought I was pretty handsome...! -strokes imaginary mustache- XD Yeah, and the whole cousin thing made things a bit weird, but we played it off really well. =] I just wish she woulda worn the veil longer. -.-' The last part of your review I received was you talking about how I mentioned your 'wet undies' and then it stopped. XD Great way to end what I actually got to read! Ha... But anyways, I bet it shows up after I post this new chapter. FF hates me. =.= BUT I LOVE YOU AND I STILL LOVE TO HEAR YOUR REVIEWS! EVEN IF I ONLY GET HALF! .

ONWARDS TO THE STORY!

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**Chapter Sixteen: Alouette and Sparrow**

**Deryn's Point of View  
**_First Persons_

I was fatigued for the duration of the morning, inhaling copious amounts of thick black coffee. Alouette had not been seen since yesterday during our argument, and by now we normally sought the other out to apologize. Thus, before lunch I had searched and turned up empty-handed, spiking my worries.

I took my midday lunch in the War Room, finishing off a few more documents to have the armies pumped up for the upcoming battle we had ahead. Murmurs of the tides trying to lap in Aurora and growing closer to the Veiled Path had reached my ears by now, gnawing on my lip at the thought. I did not know what to do, leaving the strategizing to the young Leon Beck, knowing he would do better than I would ever hope for. I needed Alouette now. She was the one so well versed in battles and would know how to go about destroying this ancient evil, but with her absence there was little that could be done.

A knock on the door disturbs my thoughts, placing a signature on a final piece of parchment. With a short call, the handle is turned and in struts none other than Reaver himself, dressed in his decadent industrial outfit. He takes a seat without bowing or asking my permission, crossing his legs lithely.

"I've come to inquire on the whereabouts of your dashing older sister," he easily purrs, eyeing me as a balverine would his prey. It was unnerving, to say the least. "Have you seen her running about?"

"Unfortunately I cannot find her. Why do you want to know, Reaver?" I wanted to smile, but hid the expression with a thick poker face. "I believe she is out with Roman. That's normally where she tends to run off to as of late."

"Hmm, I suppose you're right," he grumbles, taking a stand and pulling his cane into the palm of his glove once more. "If you do see her, tell the little minx that I've been in need of her assistance on something, would you now?"

"Reaver, wait," I call hurriedly, standing from my own chair as well and walking with him out of the War Room. I planned on heading to the study anyways and wanted to speak with him. "What is your relationship with my sister? I've never seen her act the way she does around you with any other man."

Reaver chuckles, followed by a perplexed and thoughtful gaze. "Ah, she is nothing more than a future conquest, dear boy. Why are you so curious, hmm? Do you hold a candle for her?"

I nearly vomit at the thought. "I don't partake in the horrid audacity of incest, I'm afraid. Meaning, no I don't love my sister in the way you imply. I merely wanted to know. I only wish to look out for her."

Again, he was laughing, stopping only momentarily with me outside of the door to my study before waltzing away with a casual strut to his walk. His hand waves, never looking back before calling out, "I do believe she does not need anyone to look out for her. She tends to do plenty of that herself, dear Prince Deryn."

I stare after him, watching him retreat down the grand staircase and out of the castle, never stopping to flirt with a maid that tried to catch his attention. How odd. Normally he would have not even hesitated at the chance to acknowledge the pretty servant. Shaking my head, I call out a warning to leave me to myself towards nearby guards, locking the door to the study behind me.

I pick up the journal, reading over a few disinteresting pieces of the remodeling and renaming of the castle, along with repairing the copious amounts of damage done to the country by Lucien. At last, I find a few snippets in an entry that caught my interest.

_I had just given birth to little Logan, my beautiful son, and handed him off to my husband when none other than Reaver strode into the room, wearing some ridiculously tall hat and an ivory suit. He had never looked so dashing in my opinion, but I feigned disinterest and only granted him a soft smile. My husband called a greeting, having met him a few years before when he attended our wedding, and Reaver barely acknowledged him or the child, instead standing nearer to my bedside. We are left alone upon hearing Logan wail out his protests, Monte running off to find a maid to help the poor King with the babe._

_"I've never seen you look so horrible," I remember him saying, smirking in delight. I laughed, reaching up to hug him for all I was worth, barely receiving a returned gesture. I professed my reason for naming him as I had, for it was once upon a time that Reaver had told me his deceased love had always favored the name and wanted their first son to be called it. At first he looked appalled, but in the end succumbed to flattery and almost- as I said,_ almost_- thanked me for it._

_He was leaving for Samarkand again in a few days, mainly because he heard a new port had been established named Debal and all the things he was looking for before were found in this port city. Which meant plenty of loose men and women, uninhibited beyond all reason, and rich drinks and herbs. We spoke only momentarily after that, never allowing him to leave until he promised to write me at every chance he got and tell me of a land I would never see._

_I hated it, but I still cared for him, despite the deep love for my husband._

I smile softly, sadly at the thought of the forlorn love. It was sweet, almost mystical, but it also brought up my memories on Logan. What I had said to Alouette the day before was true, mainly of my jealously over her whenever our uncle would give her all the attention.

I grew up normal, for a prince at least, and was taught the skills of the sword. I had never been good at a gun or at fighting in general, instead a scholar and the prize of our mother. She loved Alouette just as much, but was greatly appreciative of my gifts within books and parchment.

Alouette, on the other hand, was favored greatly by our mother's brother, Uncle Logan. He took a liking to the girl when she exhibited how perfect her shot was with a pistol. He taught her fighting after that, finding a natural talent in her for pistols, rifles, and swords of all sorts. I had been jealous, surely, but never realized she felt the same over our mother until later years when our uncle had passed away.

I shake my head of the thoughts, the memories, and flip a few more pages along in the diary until I come across another interesting piece.

_I had watched my children grow, disappearing for many years and finding myself at last with the Warrior Monks and Hammer. Before my time away, I had crowned Logan as king, partly because of how ill my health had been as of late. Hammer was also dying, withering away and far older than I had thought she would be when she passed. I probably had a few more years in me at best, honestly. The two of us survived for many years past our expiration date because of our hero blood, though I was unsure if this was luck or a curse._

_Upon my return, I found Albion was different than ever before. I never realized just how many years I was away. It was probably around thirty, at best, aging more and more with each month that moved on. Hammer had died many years prior, allowing me to stay and give time to the entire temple she had trained and taught at, and the trip back had taken over two years with a caravan on land. I was not partial to the sea, despite how short our adventure would have taken if I had used it. Now, I found myself in the presence of a new queen, my darling Valentina, and the death of Sir Walter Beck at the hands of the Crawler. I had never known of such evil! If I had the inkling, I would have never left._

_Now, Logan was not the ruler and my daughter had taken my son's place. She had just given birth a short two years ago to a beautiful little girl she named Alouette, my daughter looking as she did when she was still quite young. The hero blood in her turned her real age, forty-six, into that of a twenty year old. But that is not what I write about… Alouette is what I was so enthralled with._

_Reaver had heard of my return after so many decades and had come to visit us. I was holding my grandchild on my lap, the bundle of energy careful not to hurt her withering grandmother by orders of her mother. He whisked into the room, looking around and placing his eyes on me at long last. Once he recognized the ancient creature before him, his eyes grew considerably and he strode over._

_"I had not expected you to age so much, Sparrow," he had murmured, in a tone much unlike his normal cocky one. I merely smiled at him, shaking my head and reminding him that just because I was a hero did not mean I could cheat death. He did not wish to accept the fact I was dying so easily, instead scoffing and telling me to go on to Avo already. I had expected him to say 'Skorm', but there is a goodness in him that one must find in subtle hints here and there._

_I stood, telling him I desperately needed to go to the bathroom, as old women did not have proper bladders any more. He seemed disgusted, then appalled as I thrust little Alouette into his arms. I warned him to hold her, read her a story or so forth, until I returned. I did not need to give him a warning to keep from harming her, for he knew already how much the girl meant to me._

_I took a good while to return, considering I needed a change from a bit of an accident. Curse old age and the things that I do because of it, as embarrassing as they are. Once I returned, I found the industrialist void of his hat, coat, and cane, little Alouette sitting on his lap and listening to stories of his many lifetimes of adventures._

_I did not alert them of my presence immediately, instead watching and smiling to myself. The way her eyes took in everything he did reminded me of myself when I was much younger and in a cavern alone with the man. He did not seem uncomfortable any longer, instead talking to her as if she was an adult, hearing her chime in with intelligent answers, despite being a bit hard to understand, whenever needed. They spoke as if they had known each other for years, though he never breathed a word of Oakvale for obvious reasons. Even the gory parts with dying souls and monsters did not frighten her, instead prompting more questions._

_Within that moment, I knew who would be the one to steal Reaver's heart long after my death. Alouette would be more beautiful than either Valentina or me, earning the looks of her devilishly handsome father and lovely mother as well. It might take many years, but she would be the one to turn him into a decent man, though I felt as if she would be more of a devious woman than one of a pure heart. I never doubted she would love Albion like no other, though. She already was so fond of it, how could she not?_

_At last, I found the one I needed to take Reaver away from the tatters his heart was in. It was as if a weight was lifted off my shoulders and I no longer was needed in this world. After this revelation, my body collapsed onto the ground and I do not remember much until I awoke._

_When I did, I felt my life slipping from me. Both Logan and Valentina were crying, my daughter much louder than my son. Even little Alouette was heartbroken at how poorly I was sure I looked, no longer the woman of my prime I once had been. Reaver was even in the room, though did not look phased in the slightest. I asked my children for a moment with the man, soon alone with him and the closed door._

_It was then that I confessed that I had once loved him, more than he could ever imagine. I would not allow him to speak, despite the slight pain I saw behind his eyes, instead reminiscing on each moment I cherished. I begged him to love again, for I knew there was a future for him with someone he never would expect and to be ready, to listen to my words, for they were the last he would ever hear from me. He seemed angry after that, though I swore I heard him give his own love tidings to me as well. I was sure I was wrong, knowing my mind was in a tizzy and failing with each moment. Reaver leant down and kissed my forehead, a characteristic much unlike the man, and left the room with one last, forlorn gaze._

_It reminded me so much of the time the four heroes departed, never to be completely reunited again at the Tattered Spire. Though, should Reaver ever pass and Avo pass good judgement on him, the four of us might one day be reunited. If Garth died as well, that is... I knew he was still alive to this day._

_My children came in after that, but I again asked for a moment with Alouette. I told her of how badly I would miss her and cherish her, but not to worry, for she would one day make my memory proud, serve justice to all that I stood for. She was bawling, sniffling madly and begging me to stay. She knew what I meant, despite barely being two, soon to turn three. She would probably not even remember me, though I hoped she did with all my heart. I told her to call her parents in after a few more minutes, but told her something beforehand._

_"Please, take care of him, my darling Alouette. Only you can in the way I never could. I love you." Obviously she did not understand._

_After that, I told all of them I loved them, whispering my cherished thoughts and hopes for my children and grandchild. Once they left, I began this entry, knowing I would soon pass on to the afterlife and whatever adventures I have left there._

_So, to whoever finds this (I will do all in my power in the afterlife to make sure it finds Alouette, and hopefully it is she that reads these pages.), please remind both Logan and Valentina that I love them. They might be with me here in the afterlife, and if so please take the time to place a flower on both their graves for me. To Alouette, remind her of what I said as my last words to her as a child. She might know what they mean now. Hopefully this was found before her death as well, and if so, again place a flower on her grave and give Reaver the message that I am sorry I guided him wrong in the pursuit of a woman I believed to be his with all my heart._

_And to all that read this of a further generation, I am watching over you. Whether you are truly a hero or just one of my lineage, I will always love you. I am the protector of this family, as is Theresa in a way, and never forget your place in the world, for the sake of Albion, Aurora, Samarkand, and all neighboring lands._

_Love with all my heart, my soul, my being, and my ghost,_  
_Sparrow_

That was the last entry in this portion of the diary and I could tell the pages had not been trifled with. Perhaps Alouette had not gotten this far yet, but I glimpsed writing in further pages. I could not be sure, but nonetheless felt the sting of tears on my cheeks. I had never met my grandmother, unfortunately, and my grandfather either. Apparently, from what Mother had told us, he had been killed during a raid on his caravan heading towards Silverpines.

It was now that I decided I needed to find Alouette, if only to speak with her for a moment. I slide my chair back, hiding away the diary and sauntering from the room. I storm towards her bedroom, not even bothering to knock and finding her barely pulling her gown over her head to sleep in. She was alone, thankfully, and scowled at my rude entrance.

I walk up to her, grasping her in a tight hug and startling the woman more than anything. She awkwardly returns the random gesture, then releases as I step back. I do not speak to her, instead turning and stomping to the door. Once there, I rethink what I had come to do before turning around and staring her right in the eye from across the room, the woman still frozen in place.

"A wise woman wrote her memoirs to those that would listen," I whisper, only loud enough for her ears should she try and listen. "She said, '_Please, take care of him, my darling Alouette. Only you can in the way I never could. I love you.'_"

With this out of the way, I exit the room, shutting the door silently behind me. The look on her face is one I would remember for the rest of my years. Shock, fear, love, angst… Everything expressed in one single, fleeting glance.

_**:.:-( To The Age of Ages )-:.:**_

**Alouette's Point of View  
**_First Persons_

For just a moment, the cloud that had been plaguing my mind for the last few days lifted. I ached in that instant, staring at the door Deryn had just left from. My stomach churned, boiling up memories I had forgotten from the days of my childhood.

My grandmother's words had never made sense to me, all the way up to my imprisonment. After that, they were forgotten, lost in time within the head of a different woman. Now, they dredged to the surface and screamed for recognition, just as tears streamed down my face.

I needed Reaver. I wanted Reaver. _I loved him with all my screwed up heart and soul._

And again, the fog returned and I left myself to wonder what I had been thinking before. Why was I so concerned over a man that did not want me, especially when a beautiful, wonderful man that _did _want me lurked right before my eyes every day? No, things were wrong… Terribly and utterly wrong…

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**R.E.V.I.E.W. B.A.B.Y.! =] More twists and turn! Damn, I love Sparrow... Think I need to make a story with her one day. OOOH! A PREQUEL! That's an idea...**


	17. XVII: As Time Goes On

**Author's Note: **Damn I've been busy. . Between _Praying for Closure, Trust is a Sacred Vow, _and this story, plus trying to draw up the tattoo I'm getting for my 21st birthday and then trying to figure up how I'm going to draw this image for _Praying for Closure_, I'm tired. Lol, so sorry that this took a bit! On to review replies!

**chellcat86: **Darling! I told you I would recieve the review for chapter 15 as soon as I posted chapter 16. -.- WTF fanfiction? Do you hate me? Ahem...! Anyways... To the review for chappie 15 that I didn't see: Well, hopefully she never realizes he stole the diary, but I suppose that would be asking a bit much, eh? ;] I love how he's shaped up as a character actually. I planned on him playing a very, _very_ minor role, only mentioned or seen in passing, but I simply fell in love with him. Ha. I really think they stayed in the Rear Passage much longer, Reaver and Sparrow, but you are right, the game does make it seem like it was over in the span of a day. I never thought of Theresa planting ideas of immortality in Reaver's head and having something to do with Oakvale, but since you mention it, it really sounds plausible. She is a secretive bitch after all. =] I still love her, but nonetheless. IF THEY EVER MAKE A GAME DEDICATED TO REAVER YOU WILL _NEVER_ SEE OR HEAR FROM ME AGAIN! I'll become a hermit, held up on the XBox all the damn time lol.  
Review for chappie 16: Again, I don't think the game gives enough credit to Sparrow. I believe she IS alive later, but dies on her travels during the events of Fable III. It leaves too much to question. Or perhaps she will make an appearance later as a withered old woman? I mean, could a hero like them REALLY die like a human so soon? I highly doubt so. I actually wouldn't mind immortality to a degree. Depends on if I had someone to share my eternity with. Now, if I was Alouette and I had REAVER to live forever with, I'd be set. =] I mean, he may be a handsome asshole, but at least eternity would be interesting beside him! Things would never get old! Now, I do hope you like this chapter and hopefully FF won't exnay half your review. -.- FML. LOVE YOU DARLING!  
**Alexox123: **You wanted more chapters and here we go lovely! They aren't getting it on just yet, but soon... Maybe? Or perhaps I kill Alouette off for a twist of fate? ;] Only I know! -insert evil laughter-

ON TO THE STORY!

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**Chapter Seventeen: As Time Goes On**

"Reaver, would you stop barging into my room!" I scream for the umpteenth time in the last month. Oh yes, an entire month had passed since my brother's party, and things had been anything but still. I had been seeing Roman more than I was seeing my own crew or the pirate himself, which did not seem as big of a deal to me as it was to either party.

Hale had been livid since the night of the party, nearly refusing to speak to me unless it was trying to knock some 'sense' into me about Roman. My first mate, Deryn, and Reaver hated him, as I had come to realize, and often stated their opinions whenever they weren't necessary. I was absolutely happy with Roman, and had lost every bit of feeling for Reaver in the process. I almost felt as if I was in a daze lately, though for some reason I was having more frequented black-outs.

Oh, and to do with the 'mass evil' that was coming to Albion. . . Things had been moving alright. The Veiled Path, a place near the city of Aurora on the western continent had been completely submerged in water, the people of the city now troubled with more monsters of old. Reported deaths at the hands of sirens, krakens, and other sea creatures throughout the lands were coming in, fierce storms now on the seas and keeping most ships from traveling.

I will say though, I really had not felt like myself at all. I had taken to wearing more royal clothing than my usual, comfortable regalia. I was always trimmed, dressed, and manicured properly, as if I had integrated back into the life of a true noblewoman. I suppose it was the effect of Roman on me, and usually I would have a problem with a man changing me purposely for his own benefit. Yet, I didn't, and most found it strange.

"I don't like him, Alouette," the pirate turned industrialist taps his cane upon the ground. "You've been clouded up on him like he is your god or so forth. It's troubling and bothersome. You are not the type of woman to act like this. For Avo's sake, you are opting to wear a dress- and I am certainly not saying you don't look ravishing, pet- over your usual garb as Captain. Have you even visited your ship lately?"

"Oh, I haven't had the time. I'm sure the crew is taking good care of it," I giggle, not noticing the fact that I just _giggled_ like a little girl. Reaver certainly noticed the strange behavior, commenting on it frequently. "Reaver, love, are you jealous of Roman? I think _you_ have a secret to tell _me_. Are you in love with me, oh loveless one?" I grin, putting my pearl earrings on in the vanity, sitting in the large dress and staring at Reaver in the mirror.

"Darling," he coos, placing his hands on my exposed shoulders, "You know better than any that I am not a man to fall in such a loathsome trap as love and marriage and etcetera. I simply do not think you are making a wise choice. Wouldn't you rather be bedding with _me_instead?"

"I find you highly attractive Reaver, and I will admit this much to you. Before I met Roman at the ball, I was head over heels for you. Unfortunately, I may seem like the type of woman to be in an adulterous relationship, but I have realized I am not," I pin a few stray hairs back into place. "I am a woman who wants dedication and love. Romance, well not so much, but Roman simply can pull it off. I might give up my life of adventure and eventually marry the man, I don't know. For now, I know I greatly enjoy his company. I might even love him."

Reaver looked absolutely appalled at the notion, though I was unsure as to which. He had seemed surprised for a moment, but quickly hid it. "Ah, I knew you were in love with me. How about you leave that Ronan fellow and we go from there, hmm? Of course, we would have to discuss who we shared our bedroom with, considering there would be absolutely no fun in a _faithful _relationship. And how could you love someone as. . . boring as him anyways?"

"Reaver," I now turn to him, standing and placing a hand on his chest. "I consider you a great friend to me, even if I did once have feelings for you. You are a man who needs his freedom, and I am not that woman any longer. I want a relationship with _Roman_, as his name is pronounced, and a family. Theresa had shown me an image of children, and I did not realize how lovely the idea is. I want you to continue to be a friend to me, despite how raunchy your attitude."

He was staring now, as if looking at me in a different light though I was unsure if it was a good one or not. "You certainly are not the Alouette I was first introduced to. Albion is about to be overtaken, if you don't remember, and it seems as if the whole of this continent will be the next to go by the look of those storms raging in the distance. You are the _hero _of this war, remember? That witch of a seer specifically told us both we would have a hand in it, and I would like to find this great evil and get it over with so I can be on my merry way."

"Oh, I completely forgot about that," I hum, rubbing my chin and smiling to myself. "I'll get to it soon, I know I will. After all, I have a date with Roman in half an hour. So, can we hurry this chat along then? I really have a lot more preparing to do."

"The Alouette I remember clearly would not give up her freedom, her ship, for the life of a noble housewife. It makes me sick, honestly pet," he scoffs as he heads to the door. "It will only be a matter of time before I find a way to snap you out of this. Just remember something else, dearest, you are immortal and he is not." With that statement out, the door to my room closes and I am left alone again.

"Oh, maybe he is right. Maybe being courted by someone as gentlemanly as Roman is a bit much for someone like me," I whisper, the haze of my mind easing slightly and my feelings growing harsher. "What am I doing? I am a free spirit! I am the hero-to-be! I am simply letting my people die off, to busy falling for a nobleman who will lock me away in his house while I sit about and do nothing! Deryn was right, I knew I should have listened to him… He even brought up Grandmother Sparrow's words to me. I know there's something wrong. Oh but what is going on? Should I kill Roman? I used to not care whom met the business end of my _Dragonstomper_. And I'll never be able to sail again and-. . ."

The door opens once more and Roman steps in, as dashing as ever. For some reason, a great resentment grows towards him. He smiles, embracing me and I feel the urge to push away and shoot him, trying to do in the meantime. The haze was slowly ebbing away even more than before, and his eyes turn down to mine.

One look in those eyes and said haze returns triple-fold, clouding the memory of the previous thoughts and a groan coming from my painted lips. What was I worrying over? Was it my hair, my makeup, my dress? Oh, I couldn't remember. . .

"Come my love, it is almost time," he murmurs in a deep voice, the grin turning into one of malice. Or was it charming? I felt sick, my mind screaming while my heart raced with a deep love for this man.

"Time for what, my dear?" I coo in return, falling into his arms fully and embracing him back.

"Oh, you'll see shortly. You will see." With that, I am whisked from the room and my mind blacks out once more.

_**:.:-( To the Age of Ages )-:.:**_

**Deryn's Point of View  
**_Third Persons_

"I know my sister has been acting strangely, Reaver, but there is nothing I can do about it. I've tried!" the king-to-be sighs, rubbing his eyes tiredly. He had been having nightmares of the destruction of Albion and a blind seer for the past few weeks, keeping him from proper sleep. "She is in love with Roman, unfortunately, but I know something is not right with her." He decided to test the waters here. "You make it seem as if _you_, of all people, are in love with her!"

Reaver ignores the last part of the prince's commentary, to his dismay. "Something is not right with that man at all, _prince_," the word was spat out venomously. "He has bewitched her. She has not even been to see her crew in over two weeks! They are worried for her, and as much as I really do not care for the lot, it is bothersome to have them knocking on my door. Fix this before _I _have to."

"Reaver, it's growing darker in these days. I have more to worry about than my sister's love life, for Avo's sake! I've tried when I can to make her see what is going on, but it seems as if she only hears me for a moment before things are back to how they have been for the past month!" Deryn was now growing more and more irritated with the ex-tycoon. "Waters are beginning to take over my lands. Driftwood barely exists any longer. The Veiled Path is gone, which I really do not mind. Deaths are popping up all over the lands, and things are just getting bad. The terror Alouette spoke of is upon us and I don't even have the hero's help!"

"I will simply have to take matters into my own hands then," Reaver hisses, turning and strutting towards the door. Before he can open it, it slams open and a winded man appears, holding onto the frame and bleeding profusely on the expensive carpet.

"My Lord," he pants, sweat dripping from his brow, "The princess has been taken! I tried to stop the man that did it, but he shot me dead in the stomach! You must hurry!" He falls to the floor, dying.

"Guards! Take this man to the hospital immediately!" Deryn stands abruptly from his chair, throwing on his sword belt and running up beside Reaver. "I need to find my sister! All available guards, search the land for her immediately! They cannot have gotten far! Hurry to the docks! They might steal her ship as well!"

"Roman, I'm sure," Reaver sighs, walking behind him at a leisurely pace. The winds could be heard outside, rattling the windows and breaking a few. The skies were black, yet no rain fell from the heavens, and the tides waved heavily around the shores. "Just what in the hell is going on?"

_'Where have they taken _**Her**_.'_

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**REVIEW DARLINGS!**


	18. XVIII: Turmoil

**Author's Note: **So many more reviewers! That's what I like to see! ;] Makes me wanna update more! Well, this chapter is a bit of fun and then some. It is in Reaver and Deryn's point of views, so I do hope I keep you interested. Deryn has a little plan you see. It's about time he uses some of the hero smarts he has, despite not having any actual powers and so forth!

**ObsessedFableFreak: **-takes all the cookies in the world- XD Fuck yeah. Cookies! -nomnom- I hope I didn't leave you hanging too long dearest! Hopefully you don't collapse on me! This is going to be a fun one and I certainly had a blast writing it. =] Enjoy!  
**animefan506: **I didn't quite want Reaver to be the same as in the game. After all, he's more insane as an industrialist than as a pirate, or so they make it seem. I prefer him as a pirate personally... -rambling- I hope you like it so far. I've never seen a story with the Hero of Brightwall's child either, so I thought I'd try something new. Besides, I'm not one to follow the trend. ;]  
**Rasha the Dark Uchiha:** Ooh, he is a scoundrel isn't he? -extremely naughty thoughts- XD Here's more for you darling!  
**Reshea: **I hope you didn't have to wait too long, doll. Here's a new chappie with oodles of goodies and insight. ;]  
**Chellcat86: **The queen of the long reviews...! I love it! See, I don't understand what is going on with my reviews. I've sent a message to FF support, but good damn luck getting it fixed. Either way, I'm not so worried about the review count showing up, as long as I am able to read them. FF just isn't on their game anymore. I compared them to Quizilla so hopefully they fix my shit for the horrible insult. . 'While Albion goes tits up' had to be the best part of your entire review. It had me laughing for a good minute. XD Of course Roman is a conniving twat! Do you REALLY think I would have added another love interest besides our precious Reaver? -le gasp- Never! OMG NO I HAVEN'T READ IT! I'll def go check it out when I get off work tonight! Anything with Reaver is worth the read! I just ordered Fable: The Journey on preorder, but I still believe I'm going to be severely disappointed. The idea of it probably not having my booze or prostitutes is disheartening at best. -.- Anyways, here goes the next chappie beautiful! I do hope you enjoy. It's Reaver-centric. ;]

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**Chapter Eighteen: Turmoil**

**Reaver's Point of View**  
_First Persons_

You know, I was never a man that really enjoyed running. I was in the prime of my immortal life, graced with a body that women fawned over. For Skorm's sake, I had _the _Queen Sparrow in my bed twice, if one could recall, before she became the woman she was at her death. Thus, when the lovely little brother of my Alouette decided it would be best to abandon his horse at the carriage house and take off down the docks in Bowerstone Market, I was less inclined to speed up my pace.

The winds were raging, pulling in favor of all ships brave enough to leave this blooming city. Unfortunately, Bowerstone was full of cowards that instead tied heavier ropes to their vessels, anchoring them to the docks by means of chains even. Only one ship was heading towards the open, churning seas, one that was far from unusual.

Back before the imprisonment of Alouette, even I had heard of a ship of exquisite beauty- nothing like _The Reaver II,_ of course- that was pirated by a woman of looks beyond that of her vessel. _The Ruthless Contessa _was both a legend and a mystery to the pirating world, those many years ago and now to this day. She was said to have made port at every seafaring city this side of Samarkand, a feat that I learned later was true.

Not only this, but she was also said to have been filled with cutthroats that matched the named etched and painted into the side of the hull. The captain would not only overtake heavily armored merchant ships, but those filled to the brim with rugged pirates as well. She almost had as much fame behind her name as I, though I still ranked higher on the food chain than such a woman and ship alike.

Thus, it was no surprise to any around that the fabled ship was the only that set sail into the monsoon of a storm, moving faster than Death himself. What was surprising to all was the lack of crew, which had been littered about the dock either dead, half-dead, or unconscious. One of these said sleeping members was none other than that deliciously handsome first mate, whatever his name may be.

Prince Deryn ran to the man, shaking him from his stupor and rousing the angry creature. He shot up, swinging and daftly reaching for a sword that might have very well cut the next King of Albion in two. Apparently I did not give this prince enough credit, considering he shot backwards and glared at the fool.

"What happened, Mr. Hale?" Deryn screams, kicking him for good measure. I would have done much worse if the first mate had tried taking a swing at me, of course. None were foolish amongst these sea dogs, for the few that were merely unconscious slowly stirred at the commotion.

"Capt'n Alouette!" Hale leapt to his feet with a newfound edge to his masculine voice. I stepped backwards underneath a bridge as soon as he did, feeling the rain trying to pelt from the sky upon my nose. These clothes were much too expensive to be sullied by rainwater, after all. "A man, the same from your party mate, lead her aboard! She be in some sort of stupor, I swear it! He murmured something to 'er, and next thing I know we are pushed onto the dock by some invisible force, we are! Some died on impact, others by the next demon spell she cast! The same used on that merchant ship in the forbidden seas!"

"Roman," I hissed lightly, pulling my hat off and discarding it upon the dirty, muddy sop of a dock. I stride forward, taking Hale by the collar and holding him clear from the wood beneath him. "A destination, hmm?"

"None she spoke of, _wretch_!" Hale growled, dropped harshly back to his bum for speaking to me in such a tone. I would have shot him, but we needed a crew to pilot a vessel to follow them. "I know nothing of what to do, mate! Alouette be gone! And it be near impossible to sail _The Contessa _with two men! The sea will take her!"

Deryn had tears in his eyes, his palms coming to rub them away and earning a scoff for his weak tendencies. How in the world was he related to Alouette again? It was near impossible for two completely different souls to share a bloodline. I reach my hand out, ready to slap the back of his head in irritation for his lack of courage. I had seen _rabbits _with more of a backbone than him!

The prince's head shoots up in the next moment, right before my hand made contact and stopping the assault on the royal. A gaze of determination flitted to his eyes, followed by his chest bowing out. At this, I laugh, earning strange looks from those that roused and returning to glare at the group. They easily adverted their eyes from such magnificence.

"Ideas, Prince?" I raise a perfect brow, my smirk slowly growing. He certainly must have a plan to find my little Alouette. She needed to be taken from that horrid, delightfully good-looking creature before she decided she enjoyed his company too much.

But wait… Why was I so concerned over retrieving her? Not only was it concern, it was like a second nature to want this immortal pirate back, bickering and throwing jibes at me at every turn from those supple lips. I suppose I enjoyed her company? No, it could not have been that. Perhaps I did have something dwelling in the furthermost reaches of my mind.

Ha! How laughable! For me to love again would be preposterous at best! The last woman I had cared anything for had grown old, withered and died, like a rose in a way. Her beauty was at it's peak when we first met, and all came crashing downhill after the whole incident with Theresa sending us on our way.

_'But Alouette won't grow old, will she?'_ A voice, sinister in nature and resembling my own, was calling in the back of my head. A shiver went down my spine, though I did not allow any other to see it. _'She will stay just as she is for the rest of the life of this world. She will never wilt as your last had. Sparrow had been foolish, never seeking a true life. Would she even really have enjoyed it if she had? Think fool. Alouette has embraced immortality as if it were breathing.'_

It was true, unfortunately enough. Alouette was immortal, something _She _had not been. The look upon her face with those final words ushered to me was haunting, ugly and beautiful all in one. Perhaps Sparrow had something more she was trying to tell me? She had mentioned that another would claim my heart all the same, and by the way she worded it, it was as if she already knew this person. How moronic! She had never met one of my escorts after her return! I thought back to what it was she saw after her return though, trying to imagine who in the world she could have meant.

Then it came to me, a memory of a little girl sitting on my lap, memorizing my every story as if she were an adult herself. She was a cute little thing, though I hated children and thought them to be reckless monsters. I could not recall the name of the child, though the red hair and eyes as blue as the crystal waters did strike up a similar image. It was right after Sparrow had seen me with this child that she had collapsed, a perplexing smile on her dying face. _It had been Alouette_.

How ludicrous! I did not fall for the pirate. She was nothing more than a conquest I wanted, something I truly desired. A gem amongst coal, in a matter of speaking, mainly because her beauty was unlike anything I had seen on other women. The only sort of comparison I ever found to hold a candle to her own image was the one I saw upon looking in a mirror.

"Did you hear me Reaver?" Deryn tilts his head, a similar trait to his sister and drawing me from my silent reverie. "I have a plan, one that might work and is worth a try. Quick, we need to get to the War Room. Do you know if the Bloodstone Cullis Gate is still operational?"

"As far as I know," I murmur, shrugging, turning on heel and strutting up to the carriage house. I needed something to get my mind off of Alouette, but with the way this whole idea was moving I doubted I would get to enjoy much too soon.

I glanced at my hat for a moment, rolling my eyes and not bothering to pick it up. I would be changing in Bloodstone anyways, at least into something more comfortable and fit for sailing. I doubted the little prince would be willing to make a stop in Millfields, thus chose to ignore the argument with a bored shrug.

I had more important things to worry about.

**_:.:-( To the Age of Ages )-:.:_**

**Deryn's Point of View  
**_First Persons_

The ride back was barely anything, the crew that remained capable ordered to meet at the castle immediately. Reaver had not spoken a word, which was rare for the tycoon if any knew him properly. I was not complaining, despite my grandmother's urgings to accept the man. I had done this already, but the idea of putting up with his nonstop, incessant babbling on how perfect he was or the things he did drove me _insane_.

"Meet me in the War Room in ten minutes," I instruct, wasting no time to listen to him complain about being ordered around. I had a mission to handle, which involved rounding up a fair share of my guards and telling them to change into something less noticeable amongst the crowd of Bloodstone.

I left Leon Beck in charge of the castle and the war while I was out, informing him that I was off to collect my sister from the clutches of a madman. He had nodded gravely, knowing this mission was indeed one of utmost importance. Without the hero of this war, what would Albion have left? Even if she was merely a symbol of our strength, using her Will capabilities at the most, we needed her for _something_.

I rush into my room and snatch on some less formal clothing, such as a simple, billowing white shirt, a pair of brown pants that tied in the front and were tight enough to be both comfortable and easy to maneuver in, and finally a set of solid black boots with the pants tucked into them. I did not remove the royal ring, keeping it tight on my right ring finger, before slicking back my hair and running towards the study.

I move through drawers, coming to a map and a journal, Sparrow's livelihood in the form of parchment. I would need both of these to find the treasure I sought, thus tucked them away in the side of my pants. My prized sword hung here as well, removing it from the mantle and yanking a belt around me. I was fastening it as I ran towards the War Room where Reaver, an anxious looking crew, and my men in their disguises waited.

"Now what?" Reaver raises a brow, glancing at the map table in the middle of the room. "You can't really believe someone without a trace of hero blood could awaken that map, do you?"

"No, I don't. That's why you are going to activate it. We need to get to Bloodstone fast and this is the only way to do it. So go ahead," I begged, my eyes showing the emotions fully. He sighed heavily, muttering things about how he was always stuck doing goody-goody things for Albion. I ignored him, nonetheless.

Reaver fidgets with the table, at last figuring out how to power it with some of his Skill. His fingers lightly trace Bloodstone, tapping the image of a miniscule mansion at the top of the hill. To say I had expected what happened next would be a bit rash.

The table glowed a vibrant yellow, a color I had never seen before when my mother disappeared into it, and the feeling of falling pulled at me. I could hear the screaming of the crew and the obnoxious chuckling of Reaver all the same, falling fast towards whatever death awaited me. When we landed though I found myself in an ugly, horrid smelling town, overlooking it from the top of the massive hill the pirate and industrialist had been caressing.

"Ah, now give me just a moment," Reaver calls, not waiting for permission from the royal blood before sauntering in the house. This gave the crew time to recuperate enough to relax, all but my guards grinning at the sight before them.

Hale steps up beside me, admiring the same view I frowned so deeply upon. "Ah, Bloodstone. She's a beaut, ain't she Prince? Biggest and best pirate port in Albion for prostitution, alcohol, sex, partying, drugs, sex, and debauchery. Did I mention sex?" I nod gravely, feeling as if I should shut this port down as soon as I took the throne.

Unfortunately, the wrath of my sister was too great to ever attempt to shut this place down. She would kill me.

I did not hear Reaver approach again, now in some red, gold and somewhat white pirate ensemble. He strides past us, heading to the docks and assuming I needed a ship. Of course, he was right, but I hated the way he seemed to think of himself over me.

He secured a ship almost immediately, shooting the captain in the head with a meager flick of his wrist, the gun almost invisible. This left the remaining crew of _Balverine's Roar _to flee the area, the few of us boarding and preparing to sail. I stepped up next to the helm, Reaver already taking the wheel in his gloved hands.

"I do hope you realize we have no idea of a destination," he comments, the evidence of boredom written all over his face. It made my stomach churn to think this was as regular as eating to him, or it could have been the lull of the ship on the rough waters.

The weather had not yet made it to Bloodstone as it had Bowerstone, though it was obvious that such a fierce gust would be here in a few short hours. This left little time to be spared as I pulled a map from the side of my pants, holding it the correct way and pointing at the coordinates. It was a tricky little island to find, but one that existed nonetheless.

"Ah, what a clever little prince!" Reaver lets out a cruel bark of laughter, sailing the ship from the port. "I would never have guessed this was your angle. I thought Sparrow had sunk it."

"And where do we sail, mate?" Hale had joined us upon seeing the Pirate King's reaction to the paper in my hand. He glances down, cocking his head and then shaking it. "Never heard of such a place, no."

"We sail for a private island that exists only on this map," I explain, gripping tight to the wood nearby. "Not only that, but we sail for a _special _ship on that island."

"And what ship could possibly do us any better than this, eh?" He looked skeptical, earning the attention of the rest of the crew upon the loud remark. I sighed, trying to find the right words to say to a bunch of cutthroats with only a few guards littered about.

Thankfully, and the only time I ever would be to hear Reaver's voice, the current captain of the ship decided to take the speech for me. Of course, the name was incorrect- or had my grandmother renamed it- but it mattered little. The crew knew exactly what he was talking about the moment the names dropped from his lips, that proud smirk upon them.

"We sail for Sparrow's Secret Isle. We sail for _The Marianne_!"

* * *

**Ooh! Did ya expect that one? I certainly hope not! I was going for an epic surprise! -throws confetti- Ha! Now, go read **_'Praying for Closure'**,**_** a Hiei x OC story. It's quite wonderful, if I must say so myself!**


	19. XIX: Grandmother's Treasure

**Author's Note: **Sorry this took so long loves! I actually just wrote this chappie an hour ago and it took a minute for me to get back in the swing of it, considering the story has basically been done for ages. =D Now... Off to review replies! {If I did not answer your review here, I'm sorry. It seems that FF is acting up and won't let me get them all, but there was about two or three I got through my email besides these that were mistakenly deleted by the husband being an idiot. FML. Sorry guys! Promise I'll keep him outta my shit from now on!}

**animefan506:** I'm glad you agree with how I've given Reaver a few decent changes. =] He's still in character and that is all that matter! And I agree! I need more followers! No, more reviewers! Fanfiction is kicking my ass when it comes to reviews though. I'm not getting some on here that I get through my email. It's maddening.  
**chellcat86:** WOO! KINDA VACATION TIME! But again, I didn't get all of your review... What else is new? -.-' I got to the part about Reaver being able to wield a melee weapon as well, which I whole-heartedly agree, so I'll respond to what I got in the email. You might have to start cutting your reviews in half lol! And this one has more of our favorite pirate king in it again, but it's still mainly in Deryn's POV. I believe I've fallen in love with the prince, ha! Lol, I enjoyed the whole encounter between Hale and Reaver. Proves whose the better man, if I do say so myself. OMG IAN WOULD BE PERFECT! Sexy, dreamy, etc... Maybe I'll let him borrow my costume for the movie. XD -drowning in her own drool- Yeah, but Stephen Fry, considering he is the true voice of our industrialist, would probably be first pick. Oh well, he's pretty damn skippy himself. =3 In regards to the melee, I think Reaver would be well skilled in that area as well. I mean, he's been alive for fraggin' ever and has had PLENTY of time to practice. Plus, when I think of pirates {huge fan of the pirating world lol} I think of cutlasses and pistols. It makes sense he's good with guns, but I really think he would be rather skilled with a sword as well. Maybe not a hammer- I couldn't see Reaver wielding something so brutish, as he would probably put it- but definitely a sword... And that's ALL of your review I got, lol! ON TO THE STORY!

* * *

**Chapter Nineteen: Grandmother's Treasure**

I had never been prone to mornings, but the sunlight flittering across my face this time was enough to nearly make the bile rise up in my throat and spill from my lips. I had a pounding headache, nothing like the occasional hangover, and every move I made strained sore muscles and tendons. Just what in the name of Skorm had happened?

I was in a room, though I had no idea just _where _I was. Glancing around, it was obvious the place was well furnished and bright, for the walls were tan stone but lavish furniture decorated the room. It was mainly white, tans, gold, and blacks, but the nature of the color of the décor was not what worried me so. Nothing looked familiar...

I forced myself from the bed and towards the balcony doors, throwing them open and recoiling at just how dreadfully bright the sun was streaming, directly in my face no less. The skies were clear and a crystalline blue, not a cloud in sight with ill intent, but as I gazed out across the land my breath hitched in my throat. _'What island is this?!'_

The land was bizarre to say the least. Tall, jagged black rocks surrounded the entire ominous castle- also ebony- in a tight wall, but beyond the landscape changed drastically. It went from burning desert to wild snowstorms and then merged again into a tropical oasis, going as far around as my balcony allowed me to see. The island was not very large, but the terrain would make it hard for any to get through without their bodies going into shock. In fact, I could see the ocean from here. The waves rolled beautifully against the shore and I came to wonder if the strange changes in weather had not yet reached this awkward place.

Before I could revel in my own thoughts, feeling the anger at the new location churn within, the door creaked open. Swiveling on heel- and realizing I was in a nightgown that was far too stifling for my personal tastes- I came face to face with the one man my mind should have immediately held responsible.

Roman.

"Where in the hell am I, you son of a bitch?" I felt my face burn with the voracity of my rage, but did not advance. My body refused to respond to my will, staying still instead of strangling him.

_**'You love him, remember poppet?'**_The voice that came to the back of my mind was ominous, sinister, and nothing like my own. I did not know who this woman was, but she had a pull over me.

_'No. I love only one man. And that man will find me, even if he does not love me either. I'm the key to this war, the winning bet, and the last thing he wants is the world to crumble to the_oceans.'

**_'And this man will never come. You'll see, my naive darling... You shall see...'_**

"Now, my Queen, that is no way to speak to your future king!" His laugh was unlike anything I ever heard, the wild seas in his eyes tumbling. "You are on _my _island, Princess Alouette. Or should I call you _Captain _Alouette, considering your pirating background?"

"Release this spell so I may kill you properly!" My teeth gnash, grinding painfully against one another. It was all I could do at this point.

"Ah, ah!" He waves his finger, briskly striding forward and taking a step too close for comfort. "I have plans for you, my darling. There is much you have to do."

"And I suppose you believe that whatever spell you've had me under will allow you to control me?" It was my turn to laugh. "Unlikely. No man in this entire world and those beyond has the power to control my actions. I am as untamed as the sea, imbecile, and I shall stay that way for the rest of my eternity."

"But there is something I have that none other has," he smirked down at me with his wicked words, "I have the very seas on my side, Alouette. I _am_ the seas and everything they are part of. I am everything you have lived and loved. I am the wind on the open waters that tickles the sails of those I prefer. I am the creature that sinks ships and devours the living that fall to the depths. I am the waves that lull against the hull of _your _ship at night, keeping it afloat and never destroying such a magnificent creation as yourself. In fact, I believe you owe me for the many times you have cheated death."

At first, his words had nearly turned me speechless... But as everyone knows, _this_ pirate queen always has the last laugh... "If I can cheat death on land as well as I can at sea, I believe it is my own magnitude of greatness that keeps _The Contessa_ afloat, wouldn't you agree? Or are you blinded by incompetence? Perhaps you are trying to scare me. Well I'm afraid you have been misinformed on something. _I am __**never**__ afraid._"

Roman's lips twitch, first into a frown but followed by a profound and unnerving smirk. He leaned closer, pecking me on the nose. "I suppose you have not learned what raw _fear _is, my dear. I suppose I'll have to teach you. But first, I wonder if your darling brother and that wretch Reaver will be showing up. If they even have the skill to find my island- unlikely- I think I'll show them first."

With that, he swept from the room, locking it behind him. My head felt clouded and fuzzy as I crumbled to the floor, clawing at my hair and screaming. "GET OUT OF MY HEAD! STOP THIS!"

That woman's laughter echoed through my head. _**'Never... Never...'**_

I don't remember much the rest of the day...

_**:.:-( To the Age of Ages )-:.:**_

**Deryn's Point of View  
**_Third Persons_

For the umpteenth time in the last three days, I found myself hunched over the side of the ship, vomiting the entirety of my lunch into the angry waters. The storm had still been unable to reach us, especially considering we sailed away from it, but it nicked at our heels with a vivacity that was most noticeable.

"I suggest you stop that incessant gagging and take a nice gander towards the right, Prince," Reaver chuckled, stepping up beside me and motioning out with one hand, the other in the crook of his opposite arm. "I believe your grandmother really did give you those wonderful coordinates. Funny, I believed the old bat would honestly lead us to our deaths. Hmm."

I force myself to turn and gawk at the island, the pirate king turning the ship full-frontal and nudging us in that direction. He did not plan on using the life boats, but instead a straight board onto the island. Risky, but nothing Reaver did was safe...

In other words, it was not long before I was thrown forward onto the deck, the ship forced into the shallows of the island and the anchors dropped roughly. Hale was nearly growling in irritation, pulling me up and glaring at the so-called captain. The man only returned a coy smirk to him, striding over the side of the boat and throwing a rope ladder down before sliding with all the grace of a cat into the knee-deep water. The entirety of the crew, save three men, followed after him, nearly catapulting myself from the sea and onto dry land. Oh how I had missed the steadiness of ground beneath my boots!

"Lead the way, Princey," Hale snorted, Reaver stepping up beside me and the two of us leading our party deep into the recesses of the unknown island.

_**:.:-( To the Age of Ages )-:.:**_

It took nearly four hours of endless searching to finally find the secret cove of my grandmother. No monsters really hindered us, besides a worthless beetle here and there, but just the trek took more out of me than I had believed even existed in my young body. I suppose I was not cut out for this type of life.

Who could have guessed...

What we found in said cove was astounding and well worth my fatigue though...

Before us floated a ship of glorious magnitude, that of both legends and nightmares alike. It was dark, ominous, with deeply colored wood and sails that had seen better days but added to the ghostly image. The entire vessel was etched with signs of struggles and battles, the name carved into the side with a jagged precision. On the from of the ship- something I actually wondered if my grandmother added to it, despite her aversion for sailing- was a skeletal figure with an outstretched palm, a sparrow clutched within the boney fingers.

"I can see the touches of Sparrow," Reaver sneered, strutting forward while the rest of the crew waited behind with awe and shock written on their faces. Some were even horrified. "Come, come! We don't have all our lives to waste rescuing that pretty little princess. Of course, _I _have plenty of lifetimes, but I would never spend that much time trying to _rescue_ someone."

That shocked us all into motion. I was the first to follow after him, along with Hale and then the rest of the crew. We each took turns diving from the cliff we were on, falling into the cold waters below- which were undeniably still compared to the seas that surrounded the island- and making our way to the monster of a ship. It was even more frightening up close.

"You, get up there and toss down a ladder." Reaver waves towards one of the lither members of the crew. The man obliged with swift stumbles, climbing up the rope that dropped the anchor into the depths. Even he was afraid of the business end of Reaver's pistol, which all of us had seen in action a few times in the last few days after a crew member stepped 'out of line', as the captain had said at least.

The man made it aboard, glancing over the side and looking paler than a banshee. "Oi! I feel ta chill a death in me bones, I do! Evil, nothin' but aboard 'er!"

"Just toss down the ladder, buffoon," the current captain hissed up, pulling his pistol from his belt.

The man threw down a rope ladder without any hesitation, giving us all time to climb on to the legendary vessel. Reaver had already pulled the trigger on the man, ordering a few others to toss him out once we sailed from the cove and got back to the _Balverine's Roar_. Apparently his respect for Sparrow still ran deep enough to avoid soiling her secret slice of paradise, even after her death.

The pirate king stepped up to the helm, followed closely by Hale and me. With a fevered laugh, his hands gripped hard to the wooden wheel, giving it a profound tug.

Nothing.

"Think ya finally reached yer limit, mate," Hale sneers, receiving a gracious and fleeting sweep of gloved hands before the first mate tried his own luck at the immobile wheel. Even with his mighty arms, muscles rippling, nothing happened.

The two begin bickering, Hale's screaming and Reaver's usual jubilant flow easily heard over the puzzled crew. I had the map in my hands again, along with Sparrow's diary, and turn to a certain insert I had found yesterday aboard the other ship when trying to calm my churning stomach.

Sure enough, written in my grandmother's delicate scrawl was a riddle that struck me hard. Perhaps it pertained to the _Marianne?_

_'Only the true owner can use it's gift and wield it. Envision your desire, your destination, and it will make it so.'_

While the two were deep in their 'discussion'- if one could call the argument that-, I strode forward and tentatively placed my bare hand on the hard wood of the helm. My eyes closed, concentrated.

_'I want my sister. I want to be with Alouette, wherever she may be.'_

I suppose I should not have been caught off guard, but when the ship sprung to life, the sails catching an unknown breeze and the still waters taking a heavy roll and started sailing for all it's worth, I had to grip to the wheel to keep myself righted.

Silence fell over the vessel at that, all wide-eyed and staring at me. I let my own mouth drop, blinking despite myself. It had worked!

"What did you do, boy?" Reaver narrowed his eyes cautiously.

Unable to trust my own voice, I handed the diary to him on the appropriate page. A few moments later, he laughed that devilish noise again.

"It would seem as if the demon vessel lives once more! To Alouette, and the death of a man to come!"

The cheers were deafening.

I turned to stare at the pirate king, standing before the wheel with the wind blowing through his hair. His smirk was small but noticeable, catching the sunlight in only a way he could. I knew Alouette was one to see only the physical attributes of her conquests at first, but with the amount of time she spent with him, surely there was more underneath the surface to draw her in _this_long. She never was a woman to hold out on a man, and now that the most devilishly handsome male in existence had appeared, she decided to 'keep it in her pants' from what I had learned. What in the hell was going on? She truly loved him...

But did Reaver love my sister? He was going out of his way to rescue her, but was it only a means to an end? She was the perfect weapon in this war, the only one Theresa believed would turn the tables, but it just did not make sense that he would risk so much for her. He easily could pay off the _Shadow Court_for many lifetimes to come in a sitting or two, which would prolong the inevitable at least for a while, long enough to establish a society on the ocean, but instead he was hunting for my sister. Reaver really was nothing but a confusing figure.

And yet, I could not shake the feeling that, deep down... somewhere none could see it- except if my grandmother was alive- he really did love Alouette. If only I had the proof, I would be satiated. Oh well, for now I would have to wait, to watch...

_"He'll always rescue her..." _The voice that drifted past my ears was soft, beautiful, and unlike anything I had ever heard. I felt a presence fill me, one that was comforting and alleviated my nausea at least by a bit. My eyes drift around, searching for the source, but found nothing. _"Alouette is his eternal treasure. The one thing he will always want, despite if he attains it or not. Simply watch, my grandchild, and you shall see it as I did many years ago."_

My mouth drops open, turning my head towards the left and over the side of the ship. There, for only a split second, I saw a beautiful woman that reminded me greatly of my sister. Her translucent hair had a red shine, not quite as dark as Alouette's, but everything else about her was close in resemblance. Before my eyes in that brief moment, she aged drastically into the images I had seen of my grandmother before her death, still lovely but in a wise and ancient way. She gave a reassuring smile, blowing me a kiss before she disappeared forever from my sight.

Sparrow was leading us onward, protecting us and keeping the wild seas off the side of the ship, even as we sailed head-first into the storms. She would guide us towards victory, and I found the faith I had restoring. The nausea of the ocean was gone, instead replaced with a burning determination.

_'Alouette, we will find you.'_

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**I HOPE YOU ENJOYED! NOW REVIEW BEFORE ALOUETTE WINDS UP WITH ROMAN AND REAVER GOES 'OUT THE WINDOW'! =D**


	20. XX: Hope Like No Other

**Author's Note: **Sorry it took so long to update, my loves! My husband had to leave for some convention for work for a week and took the laptop with all my stuff on it. -.- Bastard... Anyways, here's the newest installment of _To The Age of Ages_, starring our favorite industrialist/pirate, Reaver, and his lovely Alouette!

**chellcat86:** WHERE ARE YOU LOVE?! -cries in a corner- I MISS YOU! I suppose you are probably off popping, huh? =] You should get my reference... But! I've decided I want them to make not only a new Fable dedicated to Reaver, but one that involves Samarkand as well. Have we already discussed this? I don't quite remember... BUT! THAT'S WHAT I WANT AND THEY NEED TO DO IT! Oodles of love, darling!  
**ObsessedFableFreak:** Better get to baking, eh?! I NEED MY COOKIES! -nomnom- This chapter is quite uplifting, in some sense of the word and in my opinion at least, so I do hope you like it. -winks-  
**animefan506: **=3 There is a bit of Sparrow in this one, though not around Reaver. Oops, I suppose that was a spoiler... . Oh well! This chapter should make everyone get excited for the next one, so I do hope you enjoy!

ON TO THE STORY!

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**Chapter Twenty: Hope Like No Other**

**Reaver's Point of View**  
_First Persons_

I glared at the man before me, nearly protesting the appalling darkness that threatened to swim under his eyes and the creases of wrinkles that tickled against his brow. Truly, he looked like a man that was in his prime but years ago, now slowly withering away and growing closer and closer to his unfortunate death.

Fortunately, this very same man gazing back at me had made a deal with a certain court of frightening apparitions, thus prolonging his life to something almost whimsical to even _dream_ of. Yes, I was walking perfection of the male race. Before this entire escapade was done, I would need to send one of my servants- a newer one though, for the oldest servants knew of my wicked ways- off to the _Shadow Court_ to rejuvenate my body before this trip _really_got underway.

That would mean I would need the help of that mouth-watering young prince. A fierce grin grew across my lips, sauntering elegantly from the captain's quarters and searching out the royalty. He was at the helm, staring out across the vast, uneasy waters. The _Marianne _was truly one of the fastest ships on the seas- of course, save my own fallen vessel- and it seemed to outrun the unruly oceans with little to no effort.

Even with the prince sailing her.

"Oh Prince!" I call cheerfully, swaying up to him and holding out a scroll. "I need you to use your blood and so forth to get this back to my manor in Bloodstone, post haste. Go on, tally ho!"

Deryn scowled, snatching the letter from my hands and holding it for a few more moments. "Reaver?" Before he made off to do as he was told- procrastination is one of my many, many pet peeves- the man eyed me up and down. "I have always been told that this ship was able to find a location if you imagined it, so I wonder; Do you really think it will be able to find a person by simply calling for her? For thinking of her?"

A small frown marred my handsome- albeit, _aging!-_face for a moment too long. "I highly doubt your dearest grandmother would have given you advice in her own, twisted sort of way without having tweaked this ship beforehand. She was known to tinker with dangerous toys with an unabashed glory. If it moved when you called for our sweet little Alouette, do not worry. Now go and send that letter. It is of upmost importance."

Deryn scowled, stomping off rather fiercely and leaving me to stare out at the open seas as he had been before. Albion was close to facing it's doom and here I was, risking _my_ eternal life all for the sake of the woman that was said to change everything. It was quite irritating, hunting for a woman I had not even tussled with under the sheets, but I felt it to be something I simply had to do. And everyone knew, when I had a goal in mind I sought it until the other's death.

"Ya know, mate, I wonder of yer intentions." A grating voice reached my acute ears, glancing to my side to see the delicious first mate, Hale, watching me closely.

"Whatever do you mean?" I give him a cross, enchanting grin.

Hale snorted, an ugly gesture, and folded his arms across his muscled, _bare_chest. Oh he was tempting. " Capt'n Alouette. Why would ya be goin' outta yer way to go after the lass? Ye be hardly the one to do something heroic, despite yer stories with Queen Sparrow or Queen Valentina. Why chase after someone ya don't like, considering you only care for yerself?"

I grin, tapping my chin for dramatic effect. "Ah, I simply have a debt to collect on to your beloved captain."

He glared vilely, his brows shooting together. "Like I haven't realized yer various partners in the bedroom, mate. Or lack thereof as of late. What 'appened to the bedroom deviant of Albion, eh? Why ya been keepin' to yerself without the Capt'n, hmm?"

I absolutely despised being questioned, but his words did bring a startling realization to the forefront of my mind. I had not bedded anyone since I made the bet with Alouette, and a few days- _or was it weeks?!-_ before that. My thoughts betrayed me, dragging my memories to that cave in the Seas of Erytheia where just the two of us had traversed. I remembered the woman cradling me after getting hit by that brute of a _Hollow Troll_, or whatever the enchantress had called it. The memory made my heart thump painfully, earning the reaction of my teeth grinding against one another. Just what in the six seas...?

"Perhaps I simply have no worthy company on this vessel," I hissed to him, eyeing the man up and down. "The prince refuses, but the invitation is still open for you, if you feel so inclined."

Hale glowers, rubbing his temples in agitation and obviously declining my offer. "If ya haven't already realized, _bastard,_ I feel deeply for our Capt'n Alouette. Hell, I love 'er, I do. She hasn't even passed me a wayward glance since we be bringin' yer scurvy ass aboard. Ya've captivated her, and I _don't like it_. If ya plan on fuckin' her and leavin', get it over with quick. I'll give the lass love, something ye never can. Now, if ye'll excuse me."

Hale turns on his heel, strutting off and I watched the swing of his backside as he retreated to help steady the sails and secure them better with the harsh winds. His words bubbled something new inside me, something I could not quite place.

I, Reaver and the Hero of Skill, Albion's deviant and Bloodstone's ruler, could never _possibly_be jealous... Could I?

I did not have time to relish in my thoughts before I heard a loud call from the crow's nest. "LAND HO! LAND HO!"

And the ship was sailing right for it.

_Alouette was close.  
_

_**:.:-( To The Age of Ages )-:.:**_

**Alouette's Point of View  
**_First Persons_

I threw up for the umpteenth time in the last week at this abominable island, groaning dreadfully. One might credit my sickness to the idea of being _pregnant_, but with the multitudes of sperm-killing herbs and alcohol I consumed after each tryst could not possibly create a child. I had been sick for a solid week, and I truly believed I was being poisoned.

Or perhaps my aversion for land had finally worn on me. I felt like giving up by now, my body worn and my heart thundering painfully. I had been beaten for cooperation a few times already, not by Roman himself of course, and had not been allowed outside of my room. The layout of the castle was unknown, something that greatly troubled me, and I had not seen my captor but once since he first revealed our location. I felt like a prisoner... again. It hurt me deeply, my heart most of all, and I almost felt my sanity starting to wane again.

I was never meant to be a caged songbird.

Of course, I knew that Reaver, Deryn, or Hale could never find this uncharted island. I had found a map my first day here on one of the bookshelves in my lavish quarters, noticing the speck of an island I was being held captive on and not recognizing it. Yes, Roman had been telling the truth- for once in his measly, pathetic life- when he said we would never be found and Albion was doomed.

My strength was gone and I was kept far from anything even resembling a gun or sword. My Will refused to come to me, and I had given up hope. I would remain here for eternity, withering from lack of food- which I blatantly refused to eat for the most part and afraid of poison- and dying until my body finally gave up on me. Albion, Samarkand, Aurora, and every other nation on this earth would be destroyed and there would be nothing left for me in the world. Reaver, Hale, Deryn, and my crew would go under with it all...

I was useless.

"I'll simply kill myself when this all was over with," I murmur to myself, seated on a chair on the balcony overlooking the lands, peering at the rolling seas. I wanted nothing more than to feel those waters churning beneath my vessel, but my beloved ship was far out of my reach now. Roman had it stationed somewhere on the island, a place I could not see so I could gain no hope from the mere image of it.

_"Alouette."_

I barely heard the whisper of a voice, but my alert was immediately thrown up. The frame that I had once been so proud of, now quite frail and reminding me of the state I was in after me seven years in that cell in Albion, swivels to face my intruder, ready for another beating.

The figure that stood before me took the breath my lungs. She resembled me greatly, though the woman possessed a surreal beauty I had let waste away over the last week. She was staring at me hard, the body slightly translucent, but those piercing eyes saw right through my soul. She was so familiar, but I could not place her.

_"Alouette, my darling, you mustn't give up. You are above this, as was your mother and all your ancestors. Why do you choose now to give up your life? I know one of my blood, you above all else, would never let something come between them and their livelihood."_

The way her rich voice rolled across her tongue was comforting and I could not take my blue eyes from her. Silky red hair, daring eyes, muscled physique, Will lines roaming across her...

The realization struck me like an army of hobbes.

"Grandmother?" My eyes widen, mouth falling open and letting out a fierce cough. "Grandmother Sparrow?"

Her wry smile was enough to confirm my suspicions. _"I know we only met briefly when you were young, my child, but you still remember me. I don't want you to do this, my child. You have a brother who would conquer all to find you and a man that loves you, even if he has yet to realize his heart's yearning beats. Why do you give up when you know they would search the earth over for you, no matter the years it took to do so?"_

I gape, floundering ridiculously. My composure faltered at the apparition, shaking my head and blinking repeatedly. Of course she was here... Stranger things had happened recently. "They'll never find me, Grandmother. I have no hope, and rightly so. I cannot eat this food, in fear of poison mostly, and my heart aches for the seas, for Albion. Tell me of the fate of the outside world, _please_!"

_"Driftwood is gone. Bloodstone and any other port town are now half covered. The waters of Aurora have finally lapped into the town and all are in peril. All pray not for their gods, but for the savior they know exists. The pray for you, Alouette. Will you truly give up on all of them? Even those in Samarkand have heard that the fierce Captain Alouette of the _Ruthless Contessa_will be their only light in these dark times. Can you not hear them?"_

I felt her magic drift over me, tickling my ears. As if my ears had heard for the first time, I could distinctly make out the _millions_ of prayers, the screams, all of which call '_Alouette'_. Albion, Samarkand, Aurora... all still hoped that the world would be saved and by my hand.

"But how will I ever escape here?" I whimper, biting my lip and holding back the tears. Oh what had become of me? Here I was, a nearly sobbing mess while people fought for their lives.

Sparrow stepped closer to me, placing a cold, ghostly hand on my shoulder. She nods towards the sea out away from the balcony. _"All you must do is see, my darling. I need you to regain yourself as you once were. There is a man I once loved out there, waiting for you. Only you can save him and I have trusted this to you and you alone. Go, Alouette. Please, you must see what I see. I have to go now. Remember, I love you with all my heart. Take care of Reaver for me, and all my descendants as well."_

My eyes had been opened now, seeing a speck of dark wood floating on the lulling tides almost out of sight. A new vigor rocks my body as I see the ship in all it's glory, grinning to myself. I stood, no longer wavering on my feet and turn to the railing of the balcony, gripping it tight.

_They had come for me..._

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**REVIEW! Or else you'll never know what happens to our lovely Alouette and her dashing savior, Reaver! WOO!**


	21. XXI: Regaining Ones Self

**Author's Note: **Alright, I've decided to post this now, despite the lack of many reviews, for a reason. I just bought _Fable: The Journey_ this morning, and have found myself severely discouraged. If Lionhead plans on doing this from now on- _creating_ heroes instead of making them part of the Archon bloodline- I might very well stop playing. Unless they can spark my interest better than this. It feels too cartoony for my tastes, despite how much I do enjoy the whole Kinect aspect... That and I preferred free-roam to this whole set pathway situation. It's really disheartening, and I really hope that the REAL _Fable IV_ follows the whole bloodline/storyline aspect. I do enjoy learning pieces about Theresa, but most of it is shit I already knew from research. Otherwise, I'm a really unsatisfied _Fable_addict...

What are _your _views on it?

**Review Replies: **Either I didn't get ANY reviews from the last chapter, or my damn FF account is not loading them again. -.- Regardless, _**IT'S NOT THAT HARD TO LEAVE A SHORT REVIEW! I LEAVE REVIEWS ON EVERY STORY I READ! **_Be courteous people. -.-'

ONE TO THE STORY!

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**Chapter Twenty-One: Regaining One's Self**

It had been an entire day since I had spotted that ship on the horizon, sailing delightfully towards this secret island, and now they were long out of sight. I suspected Reaver had been intelligent enough- despite how aggravating the handsome devil was, I will admit he did have some smarts to him- to anchor the vessel somewhere that was hard to see from this ridiculously flashy, ominous castle. It would keep the guards here off their backs and give them an element of surprise.

I had done my part thus far, scarfing down whatever food was passed my way. Hope had been restored and I needed to build my strength up as best as I could. It was hard last night when I had tried to devour my dinner, considering my stomach was significantly smaller than when I had arrived. Nonetheless, I finished everything off.

I had taken to exploring the elaborate closet as well, the only other place I was allowed in this castle and only because the separate room attached to mine- along with my bathroom of course!- trying to find something besides intricate dresses and massive amounts of frill. The search had come up empty, but I had found something he probably did not believe was in there...

The best way to put my discovery was A Very Sharp Pair of Scissors. They were long, a bit longer than the length of my hand and with a deadly blade. Trust me, I had sliced my finger open when fiddling with them. Considering I had not been allowed to have anything even close to a blade or a gun- even hair pins had been banned- this was a rare treasure, one any pirate in my situation would be thankful for.

I debated on altering one of my dresses to better accommodate an outfit to escape in, but decided I needed the scissors to stay as sharp as possible and it would only dull them. That, and I had not been allowed a needle so anything I created would be jagged, frayed, and utterly in the way. Nonetheless, what sort of woman would I be if I could not defend myself in a dress?

A knock sounds at the door, and before I can call an entrance- which I honestly would have told them to "shove it where the sun doesn't shine"- the aforementioned visitor pushed the heavy doors open. Who would have guessed that _Roman_, of all people, would finally come and visit with his captive?

"I heard you've been eating, pet," he coos, striding closer but remaining a comfortable distance. The scissors had been shoved deep in my cleavage where they could not be seen and the mere thought of them comforted me. "Finally decided to join me?"

Now, I had two options here. I could fake allegiance and sidle up to him, seducing him into bed and then slaying him, likely to end in getting chased by guards and trying to find an exit to a castle I could not navigate. I might be able to find a gun and a sword, but the monsters that might lie behind these walls could very well be able to kill me. I was nowhere near my full strength and still could not use Will, and then the likelihood of finding a gun involved made it a rather distressing idea altogether.

Or, I could be my usual rude self and pretend like he was a complete moron. This option would end in a beating, but I would at least still have my dignity. This would allow me to bide my time until the others made it closer to the castle and then hopefully I would be more capable of protecting and fighting for myself instead of relying on someone else to do it for me.

The choice was obvious.

"I wouldn't join you if Hell froze over, Jack of Blades reappeared to save the world, and Skorm personally asked me to help him into his pink frock," I scoff, rolling my eyes and immediately turning my head at the force of the harsh slap delivered. "You really do think you are the most important thing to happen to this planet, don't you? You'll pay soon, this much I promise."

"Oh thinking of running, dearest?" His voice was low, frightening almost. I wanted to be proud and keep my body from shaking, but the traitorous limbs did not acknowledge my request. I nearly growled at myself, but tossed back the emotion with a vengeance. "You realize the monsters that live on my island, no? Perhaps you should look a little more extensively at the book collection I gave you. Soon you will give up any last shred of hope and become the slave of my Armageddon."

He turned, whisking from the room in such an elegant fashion I felt bile rise in my throat. Roman made me sick in every aspect of the emotion now, and I sorely wondered why- of all people- I let _him_court me.

_'You needed to prove something to yourself, remember? Remind yourself that, despite your love for Reaver, you could still be just as promiscuous as always. Perhaps you should have simply told him, "Yes, I do love you. What of it?" instead of acting like you really didn't care for him. Besides Roman was the most excitingly exotic and handsome specimen to meander by at the time. Oh, and he has a really, _really _big-'_

I shake my head roughly at the throat, giving a small smirk nonetheless. I had not realized I had wandered over to the bookshelf during this time, running my fingers across the ancient spines and at last finding a tome that had a title that might be a bit more appropriate to finding out just what lurked on this island.

"_'Mythical Creatures of the World,'_" I murmur aloud, flipping open the pages and beginning to stare in horror at the pictures. "You have got to be kidding me...!"

_**:.:-( To The Age of Ages )-:.:**_

**Deryn's Point of View**_**  
**__First Persons_

To say that my gloating had been insufferable since arriving to the island had been an understatement. Hale and the crew, save the industrialist, had all doubted the miracle of the _Marianne _in all aspects of the word. We had barely landed on the beach this morning and it was well into the evening by now. Those with us had all turned their cheeks to my smug grin, but I wore it nonetheless.

Reaver and I headed the party, his gait nonchalant and mine proud. I knew my sister was close, and even as we set up camp deep into the pine forest we had finally trekked into I became agitated at the wait. We were so close and yet so far...

We sat around the fire, various pieces of the crew in idle conversation and listening to the frightening silence that surrounded the trees. Some were wringing out their clothing- we had just broken out of a tropical rainforest into _this _sort of forest, which was nothing but strange at the sudden changes in climate- of the water collected earlier after eating some of the provisions we had brought ashore.

Reaver was gazing into the fire, gun in his lap and ready for anything, completely void of conversation. It was bugging me, considering the pirate turned industrialist turned pirate once more loved to hear himself speak. It made my own doubts and worries come to the surface and I realized I needed something from him to boost my courage.

"Do you feel her like I do?" I finally whisper to him. "She's close."

He does not even spare me a glance. "Yes, but I believe _Your Highness _should be more worried over his own tail right now. Of course you probably have not heard, but the last time I found myself camping on an unknown island, we were attacked by these furry little monsters much resembling the Balverines of Albion."

"We'll be ready in case something does happen. I've already had a group stationed in the trees and on the ground in case something happens." I fought for the right words. "What are your plans once this is all over? You aren't really one to stick around."

At last, Reaver turns his face towards me. I was startled at how aged he looked, much different than when we started this voyage. I came to wonder if it was because of Alouette's face or if he had yet to receive his years from the sacrifice to the _Shadow Court_. I credited it more to the second than the first, honestly. He never seemed one to worry over much.

"I will simply enjoy my prize from your sister and then I will disappear as I always do, Prince," he chuckles, giving a coy smirk that was much more like him than I had seen in days. "Perhaps you honestly believe I'll steal her away and ride into the sunset then?"

"I would highly doubt she'd enjoy anything like that. She would much prefer sailing away to pillage and probably murder unknowing sailors," I grin in return. "Merely a thought. I know she's close."

Reaver had reverted to himself again, eyes trailing back to the fire. I wished only to get into his head for a moment, only wanting to know what was on his mind. I knew he would not open up to me easily, if at all, but I simply wished to know more about this man. He was a mystery, even to my deceased grandmother- though she knew him better than most- and I loved a good mystery.

Fortunately, I did not have to delve much deeper before he spoke once more. "Alouette is a woman of a caliber even I am unaccustomed to. You would do well to remember I am merely a man, albeit an extraordinary one, young Deryn. Perhaps you believe I actually have _feelings_- how I detest that word- for your older sister. You would do very well to recall just _who_I am."

I stand from the log I was one, brushing off my tunic and pants before turning on heel and heading towards my tent. His words should bother me, but I felt as if his words were more of a puzzle than a declaration of his loathing for my sister. Even I knew he cared for her, despite anything else he might say.

"Reaver." On a second thought, I glance over my shoulder at his bare back. Even he had removed his shirt. "You may believe yourself above loving another woman after your deceased beloved and my dead grandmother, but Sparrow spoke of resting in peace now that she had found the woman that would be the one to take care of you, the one to be yours after all the shit you've gone through. Isn't it funny that she wrote that right before her death and yet, right after meeting her granddaughter Alouette for the first time? Merely a thought after all, but how strange a coincidence it is, eh?"

I head to my tent after that, feeling much more content with myself than ever before.

_**:.:-( To The Age of Ages )-:.:**_

**Reaver's Point of View  
**_First Persons_

The little bastard of a prince had tried to unsettle me with his words, but I had known a lot more about Sparrow than he thought he did. Oh, I had found out about her diary being found at long last, but never had felt the real urge to read it. It had not been meant for my eyes, after all, and even _I_ respected the dead more than that. Or perhaps I simply respected _Sparrow _more than that.

Though, it is ironic that she had passed with those final words after meeting Alouette. Oh, I remembered the small child I once told stories to so many years ago, listening as only an adult could and asking questions like a truly old soul. Of course, I do not find children appealing in that sense, but knowing that _she_was the one- now grown up in every aspect of the word- Sparrow entrusted to me, and likewise, was startling.

It could only be brought to question if the long deceased was on to something. She had been much wiser than she let on, after all...

Hmm...

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**REVIEW! Or I'll rant on and on and on about my discouragement with **_Fable: The_ _Journey_**! I MEAN IT! You don't want to get me started! =]**


	22. XXII: My Hero

**Author's Note: **Yup, still completely disgusted with _Fable: The Journey_, but that's besides the point. I finally got up that pic I drew of Reaver and Alouette, which you can find on my profile page under _**My**_** Creations...** It's not my best work, but I will be drawing another soon. GOOD NEWS TO ALL MY READERS! Despite the story ending in about 3 or 4 chapters -avoids flying sharp objects-, I have decided to create my own versions of Disney Princesses with my OCs and their respective love interests. You'll be happy to know, once this story is over with and I have the image drawn up, Reaver and Alouette will be making another appearance for a mini-story, a fairytale parody of the _Little Mermaid_, probably to be called _The Little Siren_, unless someone has an idea for a better name? =] It's going to be cute. That also means my Kyouya, Hiei, and Kakashi story will also have a fairytale counterpart by the time I'm done. =3 TELL ME WHAT CHA THINK!

**animefan506:** First of all, Lionhead has said that _The Journey _was NOT the fourth installment to the Fable series, but that was only after a LOT of fans went crazy on them for saying that they won't be following the bloodline anymore, but instead heroes will be CREATED, which is absolutely sickening to say the least. The way they have it made is that only those of the Archon bloodline can be heroes, yet here's this nobody that is able to get Will Guantlets (The Journey)? No. No, no, no. I want to finish playing it, just so I can have a full reason to bitch to Lionhead personally, but it really is taking a lot out of me. I've been playing with it on mute a lot, since it repeatedly mentions about how heroes are dying out or have died out and so forth. -.-

**chellcat86: **OMFG YOU'RE BACK! -glomp glomp GLOMP- Wow, I actually got ALL of this review this time! -does happy dance- And I think you sent me a second one too? o.O Really are making up for lost time, aren't cha? =3 And I don't mind you being gone for a bit darling! I just missed your insightful, albeit long (which I love!) reviews! Yeah, _The Journey_ is not a free-roam game, which is what makes me REALLY irritated, besides him not being of the Archon bloodline, but that's not the only reason it sucks. The animation is a wee bit off and more childish in a way, which I expected to an extent, and I want my fucking whores and booze back. -.- And my dog for that matter! I would rather have a treasure-sniffing dog than a horse that only does horsey things! D OH! But they do mention that a bridge in this game is called 'Reaver's Way' which did excite me a little bit. =3 And I know it is only a side game, but they only said that AFTER they got all those nasty emails and letters from angry Fable fans. . I highly doubt they would make it a modern game at any point, set in our era, but if they did you bet your buttons it would probably be REALLY focused on Reaver, considering his immortality and so forth. I agree with how you have the continents in conjunction to the game set out, but Samarkand is supposedly based of China from what extensive research says... I don't know if an American version would be that fun, though maybe it had like a Mayan twist or something around that genre. Maybe, maybe not. It would make for some interesting monsters though! -imagines pygmies or however you spell it lol- BUT IF REAVER IS NOT IN IT I WILL BOYCOTT EVERYTHING LIONHEAD STANDS FOR AND THEM SOME! -makes picket signs just in case- XD And no worries! You don't have to review the chapters you missed!  
**chellcat86 (2): **DON'T WORRY ABOUT DOING ANY MORE REVIEWS FOR THE OTHER CHAPTERS I'VE ALREADY DONE! With the trouble you seem to be having, you might break your phone and then what would you do, ne? =3 Oooh, but what do you think about doing a fairytale, Little Mermaid sort of parody with Reaver and Alouette? I think she'd make a cute mermaid/siren! XD

ONWARDS TO THE STORY!

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Two: My Hero**

I had finally had it up to my ears with everything. My body felt whole again, but the bruises on my skin were maddening to say the least. It had been _four days _since I had last seen that damnable ship on the horizon and Roman had not came to visit me since. Of course, that did not mean I had guards constantly entering the room and thrashing me about a bit.

But what they did not know was how my body had recovered. I made sure to hide myself in the most elaborate of house dresses in that monster of a closet, using the excuse of 'hiding my bruises' better and so forth. My muscles were still slackened, but nothing like before.

The most exciting of all, you ask? Across my arms and waist the faint glimmer of Will lines had returned. They had not spread to my face and chest, which I credited to being weaker still, but it worked in my favorite. Now, I just needed something to help me get out of this hellhole of a castle.

The scissors from days ago had been wielded and practiced with, though I felt quite foolish about trying to brandish them like a small knife or even a sword. It was almost comical in a way, realizing my last resort was to fight for my life with a damned pair of _cutting utensils_!

Yet, my subconscious kept reminding me of many, many things. It was as if that voice in my head had finally triumphed over the evil haze that tried to overtake me, and now whispered encouragement at every doubt that might have fought for a way through.

_'First, you survived being a pirate for the _Queen_, if one could believe that possible! You lied to her face so many times on the deaths of others and your need to pillage and plunder. You then survived prison for many, many years until you were nothing but bones covered in sticky flesh. Don't forget, you sailed through harsh seas all the way to Samarkand to recover a man that had been missing for years-'_

"I think I get your point," I mumbled aloud, glaring at my reflection. It was as if the woman was in the very room, despite being my own inner voice. I wondered if Sparrow was speaking through this metaphorical person into my ears, but I had not seen hide or hair of her since she appeared in my room the day the ship was spotted.

_'Let's also take into our facts that _you_defended your vessel and crew against not only sirens, but a kraken as well! Then, you took down those nasty little wereverines until you simply had to run. Oh, and the Hollow Troll! You killed that bugger off and still had time to make it to Albion to save your brother's tail from none other than Roman-'_

My eyes widened at the thought of it. I really had never put two and two together and realized that _Roman_ had been the threat to Deryn's life, but it all made sense now! He was the only evil entity- save Reaver, but you can't really call the man completely evil since he is a hero- at that party, that I knew of, and had sought _me _out.

That royally pissed me off.

"If I would not have made it in time, that... that... _bastard _would have killed my younger brother!" I leapt from my chair and threw myself towards the balcony, clenching the rails for all I was worth. My knuckles turned white at the strain. "Deryn, Reaver... Where are you?"

_**:.:-( To The Age of Ages )-:.:**_

**Deryn's Point of View  
**_First Persons_

"REAVER! TO YOUR LEFT!" I dodged another flying creature, swinging himself dangerously at my head as a gunshot resonates. Reaver effortlessly planted another bullet in the head of the creature, smirking lightly to himself in triumphant gloating.

"You're welcome, little Deryn," he murmured with a chuckle, snatching a new set of bullets from a pouch at his waist and reloading. It only took him a few more minutes to finish off the strange, humanoid-like bats that had attacked us.

"Damn, that certainly was not expected." I pulled my arms tighter together, feeling the snow brush my face. Around us, the pure white had been doused a sickly red from the blood of these creatures and a few of our men. "How many did we lose?"

"Only five, Princey," Hale grumbled, wiping his blade off on his shirt-tail. "We're close."

The three of us glanced up to see the ominous looking black spikes before us, probably as tall as six brutes standing on each other's shoulders. A few men had taken to running their hands over the things, searching for an entrance.

"Ah, ah! There's always an entrance!" Reaver smirked at the lot of us, strutting forward and tapping his gun against a few pillars. One created a ringing sound unlike the others, and the pirate easily took his foot and slammed it into the thing. Before our eyes, it crumbled to expose a passageway that ran deep into the darkness. The murky smell of stale water wafted forth, causing me to cough in disdain. "Hmm, I so terribly hate caves. A man such as myself should never find need to venture within one, don't you agree, Prince?"

The pompous jerk was trying to agitate me again, so instead I merely casted him a wary gaze before taking stride into the darkness. I lit a match onto a touch inside, snatching it from the wall and making it known that my courage was profound.

I heard the chuckling of the industrialist before I made it out of earshot, soon followed by eager footsteps from the rest of the crew after me.

Over the last three days, it had been nonstop carnage. We barely had time to sleep or eat after the first night, confronted with monsters I never knew to exist. First there had been a tribe of water sprites with an urge to devour our hearts, then a trio of trolls composed of bones- "Hollow Trolls", Reaver had corrected-, those nasty little Balverines- "Wereverines."-, and finally bats resembling men that thirsted for blood. I was worn out to say the least.

Of course, Reaver was not much better off. The age was starting to show even more prominently on him. I was sure he would simply turn gray after a few more days, but sincerely _hoped_ his sacrifice made it to the _Shadow Court_ in time. We really, _really _needed him alive to pull this off.

_**:.:-( To The Age of Ages )-:.:**_

**Reaver's Point of View  
**_First Persons_

I abhorred the withering age that tried to ravage my body. I had been fighting back the signs for days, but constantly felt the gaze of that insufferable, albeit _delightful_, prince on me. It was obvious he knew what was going on, but I ignored him at every turn.

The last few days, during our skirmishes with the unsightly creatures of this forsaken island, (I would take the Seas of Erytheia over this lot any day!), I had oodles of time to reflect on the words that had nearly slapped me in the face all those days ago, ushered by the very same irritating royal gallivanting like a hero with us.

Honestly, I really did not want to think about the aspect of _love_ or any of it's affiliates. I had cared for Sparrow yes, and even loved my deceased beloved when I was my other self, but to think I cared for _Alouette _was almost preposterous, right?

_'I simply want to bed her.' _No matter how many times I told myself that, I still came to wonder over her safety at the hands of that wicked fool, Roman, or whatever he had named himself. Even now, wandering through this damp and disgusting cave, I did not complain or argue over my whereabouts.

What in the hell was wrong with _me_? I was much to handsome to be in such a place, and rich at that! Yet here I was, traipsing through filth and ruining my boots all in the name of some princess turned pirate queen that had been foolish enough to get herself kidnapped by some egotist with a curvaceous rump.

"It seems as if we reached the end, mate." Hale broke me from my reverie upon seeing the trapdoor above our heads. "Who be goin' first?"

"Well I certainly won't be." My nose turned up in the air, pointing my gun at another, insignificant man. "You. Up. Now."

He gulped, about to refuse before the hammer was cocked on my lovely _Dragonstomper_. With little excitement, he took the ladder in his hand and forced himself through the threshold of the trapdoor. He disappeared from sight after another moment before peeking his head back down towards us.

"Be servants quarters, lads. Deserted."

Everyone else began to file up, leaving my own perfect visage- despite the age wearing against my features and making me sick to even think over- to grace the dank servants quarters last.

"What da we do now?" A buffoon was the first to speak up and break the beautiful silence.

As if I had been dubbed the leader of this excursion, every set of eyes turned towards me. I cocked a manicured brow at the conclusion, noticing a barrel of gunpowder in the shadowed corner. My trademark smirk slithered across plump lips.

"I would seem as if we are meant to make a scene."

_**:.:-( To The Age of Ages )-:.:**_

**Alouette's Point of View  
**_First Persons_

The castle shook beneath my feet, accompanied by the shouts of guards and the ringing of a deafening explosion. I grinned maniacally to myself, cracking my knuckles and feeling the tingle of the Will dancing through my veins.

They had come for me.

I did not hesitate in ripping the elaborate dress off myself, leaving only the long shift and the corset over it to keep me covered. I discarded the mass of ugly yellow silk, propelling my foot backward and slamming it through the door with a finesse no other possessed.

"SHE'S ESCAPING!" I almost held in the laugh, _almost_, as I yanked out my deadly scissors in the most threatening manner possible. Of course, this also caused the four guards coming at me to laugh as well, but they did not do so for long.

The first that came at me was promptly delivered with a jagged slice to his jugular, follow by a fist the face for the second. The third managed a snatch at my hair, but I shocked the living hell out of him before he could do any damage. Let's just say the fourth will never produce children in this life or any of the ones to follow.

I ran down a series of hallways, trying to follow the source of the noise with my ears alone and scowling in frustration. Why did this place have to be so damned big? I barely had time to huff before another battalion swarmed against me, though this time with far more than the last few.

I knew I could not take all of these fools without a gun, and the scissors allowed for a very, _very_ close range fight with any opponent. The Will that flooded my veins was electrifying, now my favored _Blades_spell, but even that could not take them all out.

I had removed at least nine of them, littered with new wounds and bruises, when I was surrounded and pinned. I fought and thrashed for all I was worth, snarling viciously at the lot of them and to no avail. I had been captured all over again.

"I think we should rough her up a little bit before we put her back in her box, don't you boys?" The one that held my arms ran a tongue suggestively against my neck, earning a shiver on my part. Oh shit.

"She does have a damn nice rack." Another stepped forward, hand prepared to grab the aforementioned body part. I had never been raped before... And I certainly did not plan on going down without any more of a fight! The whole idea frightened me to no end...

"If I had a gun, none of you would have the balls to even _try _what you are thinking, you fools!" I spat in one man's face, earning a harsh slap for it.

"Yeah but you don't, _Princess_!" Their laughter was maddening.

"Ah, but it appears that _I _do."

Six simultaneous gunshots ring, each hitting their mark dead center with little to no effort. I felt the one behind me slump to the ground last before I was finally released and allowed to move.

That voice was one I never thought I'd hear again.

As if time had slowed around us, I turned to face my savior and was met face-to-face- and in _very _close proximity, mind you- to an aged, though still handsome Reaver.

"Reaver?" I could almost not believe my eyes.

"I'll take this moment to mention _I told you so_, as it were. It appears your darling Roman is a bit more than you can handle, my little minx." That smirk was one I had dreamt of for days.

Without warning, I threw my arms around his neck and hugged him for all I was worth. Reaver was startled, hands up beside me defensively, before his eyes roamed the hallway. Once he was sure none were around, his own arms folded around the lithe creature in front of him, feeling as if things were actually _normal_, as impossible as that may be.

"Fuck, I didn't think I would actually _miss _you!" I laughed to myself, squeezing him and never wanting to move from this very spot.

"Save your dramatics for later, pet. I have a date with a rather handsome fiend buried somewhere in this castle." Reaver pulled me from him, curling his fingers around my upper arm and dragging me along. "Any ideas where I might find him?"

I hesitated before nodding, as if the idea was one that justified everything, despite my lack of knowledge. "For some reason, I believe he might be at the docks. I don't know where that is though."

Reaver smirked, placing a gloved finger to my lips. "Ah, but you are dealing with _me_, little Alouette. And I never miss my mark."

And I felt as if everything in the world was right and his statement filled me with a kind of hope I had not felt in a very, very long time.

* * *

**REVIEW! OR YOU WON'T GET TO SEE ANY MORE SWEET, ALBEIT STRANGE FLUFF BETWEEN REAVER AND ALOUETTE! -insert evil laughter-**


	23. XXIII: Reaver's Light

**Author's Note: **Sad news... Only one or two more chapters to go! {I haven't decided if I want the epilogue to be an entire chapter or not... .} So I plan on stretching out my updates on the final two just a bit longer than usual. Plus, I've been busy, which is the reason this update took so long. BUT! To make up for it, this is the climatic part of the story everyone wanted to get here... And finally it's come. I hope you enjoy, considering it is long as hell...

_**READ THE BOTTOM NOTE BELOW THIS CHAPTER!**_

**animefan506: **Thank you for being my only reviewer this last go. T_T No one loves me anymore! I hope you like this one especially, considering it the big one that many people waited for. {Well, there is one other thing people have been waiting for that is to come...} And they better not make anything about Reaver's children! -snaps fingers- Not unless he's in it and the bitch he was with is dead from a bullet hole! Lol! But that would be entertaining to get to play alongside the children of Garth and Hammer, whether it be one kid or two separate parentages. XD

ON TO THE BIG CHAPTER!

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Three: Reaver's Light**

I followed after my savior like a lost puppy, scurrying through halls and finally out into the fresh, clean air. It carried the scent of the forests around it, but buried within I could almost feel the salt of sea water. For a moment, I stopped in the enormous courtyard and smiled, eyes closed and letting the wild wind toss about my hair. How I wanted the ocean...

"Ah, I know my presence stuns you into silence, pet, but if you believe I'll wait for you to kill off this little fiend, you are sorely mistaken. Toodle-oo!" Reaver went to go on and find the bastard without me, but I immediately caught up.

"I don't have a gun, though!" I scowled at the man, eyeing the wrinkles in his face, mainly around his eyes and lips, and how his dark hair was lightening. The way his age was growing older by the minute made me worry greatly. Why had he not made his sacrifice? Surely he could not have been that worried about me!

Breaking me from the strenuous train of thought, a gold and maroon handle is thrust before me. I shake my head to clear it, watching Reaver narrow his eyes before slowly pulling the gun closer to him.

He was offering me one of the two _Dragonstompers _he carried on him...

Now, very few people knew Reaver, the Hero of Skill, on any sort of personal level, save the royal family to a degree. I had prided myself in learning what I could of the man I fell so hard for, and yet at every turn he surprised. He never offered up a gun to anyone.

"Are you going to keep gawking or take the thing? My offer will only stand for the next few seconds."

Before he could fully retract his arm, I snatched up the precious object greedily, giving it a fond smile. It felt familiar in my grasp, as if an extension of my arm, and Reaver nodded in approval. I just needed a set of pants and my ship, then all would be right in the world again.

"Your darling brother procured your effects from your room before we began the voyage. Your sword is on our ship, I'm afraid," he smirked, whisking off in the direction of the seas.

_**:.:-( To The Age of Ages)-:.:**_

**Reaver's Point of View  
**_First Persons_

I had noticed the bruises dancing across Alouette's skin the moment my eyes ravaged her in that hallway. She was a bit more slight than before, but nothing drastic. Even then, I felt a rage unlike any other in the pit of my stomach.

Yet, as she walked beside me to the docks of this damnable island, something felt different... almost right. I had missed her presence, it would appear, and that baffled me to no end.

We arrived in little time, and low and behold that wretch _Roman _stood confidently at the very edge of the pier. The seas churned about him, nearly knocking the very wood from beneath my feet, but I was much more versed in the matters of the sea than that, of course.

"Ah, the proverbial knight in shining armor!" Roman laughed heartily at the two of us, his eyes caressing every inch of the woman at my side. My rage doubled.

"I'll kill you!" Alouette had begun to quiver, expressing her feelings for this creature outwardly. "_You _are the one that meant to kill my brother that day! I know! I'll rip your very bones to pieces!"

"Tsk, tsk!" He sneered towards us, though as my sure footsteps grew closer it diminished. "If you want a battle, you shall have it! And just remember, I'll take Albion and all the world as my personal seas when you are both dead under my feet!"

The water around us violently crashed against the docks once more, this time taking Alouette with them. "Alouette!" I caught myself screaming after I realized she was no longer beside me and instead fighting for her life in the waters.

"No, your battle is with me, Reaver!" The waves behind the man before me rose up into a giant tidal wave, yet never moved forward. Instead, a myriad of sirens threw themselves from the water and at me.

Each shot rang true, as always, and they fell to the broiling sea in splatters of reds and purples. I did not take the time to appreciate the fallen women, instead placing my focus on Roman. My bullets sailed into him, but he barely faltered.

In his moment of weakness, I hurried to try and glance around for the Princess of Albion. She was repeatedly swimming to the surface, grappling with a few sirens of her own, but it seemed as if she could handle herself for a moment or two without my assistance.

I barely noticed Roman leaping at me, but at the last minute seized him around the throat and threw him to the wood. He returned with a kick, ripping my legs out from under me and trying to have his seas wash me over into their depths. I held tight to the planks, the man crawling on top of me and taking my sword. He threw it into the ocean without a wayward glance, using a fist to punch me hard in the jaw.

"That's right, and when I've killed you I'll rape your woman. I've bedded her enough already, but why not do so when she _isn't _willing?" He cackled, though a new batch of rage burst from my lips.

"And I'll take your head before we leave this dock, fool." I bucked him off- how proficient, and yet I learned that under the sheets- and reversed our places.

It turned into a grappling match, one minute with me slamming my fists into his ribs, his face, whatever I could get to while trying to reach for my gun- which, conveniently had slid across the dock near the edge. The next minute, Roman would be on top with his claws digging into my neck.

I watched him transform before me, shifting forms almost like the fluidity of the ocean itself, and snarled in a fit of anger. He took the dominant role, though my gun was now a few fingers away, watching Roman grin toothily.

"And now you die."

"GET YOUR GRIMY HANDS OFF HIM!" Alouette was up and free from the rolling waves, standing behind the creature with her hands at the sides of his head. "YOU WILL NOT TOUCH THE MAN I LOVE AGAIN!"

I stopped, gawking openly at her. _'She loves... me? No.'_

With a wicked show of strength, she rotates her hands and cracks his neck, watching the light bleed from his eyes. She tossed the body in the ocean, which was still careening hastily towards us, and stared at me.

She now realized she had confessed.

"I... I..." Alouette was at a loss for words as I pulled myself up, wincing at a deep gash in my side. We needed to get far from this place as quickly as possible, yet all she could do was gawk.

"Ah, worry with your revelation and confession later, dear. I believe we have more important matters to deal with for the moment."

I snatched up her hand and my gun as well, the two of us running for our lives at the waters chased us. Deryn and the remaining members of the crew were dueling in the courtyard as we sprinted past, though they took the hint and pursued.

I heard the screams of the palace guards before the noise of the waters falling on top of them reached my ears. We were indeed being followed, but not by anything human. The very seas surrounding this place were trying to catch up to our rapid sprint.

"INTO THE TUNNEL! I HAVE AN IDEA!" Sure enough, up ahead was the entrance to another tunnel that ran straight through the black barricade.

Once we made it past the threshold, Alouette snatched up a boulder with a strength I once remembered in an overweight, hideous woman named Hammer or so forth, slamming it shut around the tunnel and keeping the water from entering after us. We could hear it lapping against the outside barricade.

"It would now be the time to continue our merry jog back to the ship," I murmured, loud enough for all to hear and once again grabbing at Alouette to follow close behind. Her fingers laced with mine, though her pace never faltered.

This is how it continued, even when we were out in the open air once more and sprinting through the snow, then the desert, a marsh, the pine forest, and finally the tropical oasis that signaled our proximity to the ship. A trip that once had taken a few days only lasted a myriad of hours with the water still trying to catch up, though at a much greater distance than before.

"Reaver," Alouette whispered once we were on the sand of the beach. "Please, we must go and secure my ship! I need it!"

"We'll see once we are alive and on something that floats, my dear." I rolled my eyes at her, feeling the fatigue in my legs unlike ever before. "Now hurry. Onto the ship you go."

I literally threw her into a rowboat, a few more of the crew clambering in around us. The prince and the first mate had not made it in time for this particular vessel, but instead boarded one of the few others around us.

I made a few of the crew row for their lives while the princess wrapped herself around me. "I did not think any of you would be able to find me. I mean, I was in the middle of Avo-knows where."

"Well, if your delightful brother had not had the brilliant idea of taking an enchanted ship to the seas, we would have never found you at all," I explained our situation in brief detail to her. "So, the _Marianne_led us straight here without nary a problem, as it were. You can thank me now."

"And this is the Reaver I sorely missed." She smirked up at me, the light dancing behind her eyes. Gently, her fingers brushed back the hair from my face.

Still, I wondered if I really loved this vixen. Yes, I was worried for her- if you tell anyone, I'll kill your entire family, loves- and angry for her, but could it mean more than that? The way her fingers touched my skin made my body feel less aged and more like my old self, as if she had the very power of my youth in the tips of her slender digits.

I found myself unable to unravel from the enchantress before me, even as we crawled up onto the _Marianne_and tried to steady it.

"Alouette!" Deryn threw himself upon his sister, cradling her and relishing in the moment that reunited the two. "My Alouette! Are you harmed, my sister?"

"Well, besides the oodles of bruises on me from the dead bastard, no. Oh, and not to mention the new ones you're giving me. Now let go before I have to shoot you!" Oh, how entertaining that would be to watch. Unfortunately, she was only joking with the fool.

"Capt'n! More trouble be a foot!" Hale motioned towards the bubbling of the ocean on the port side of the ship.

All of us scurried to the side of the vessel and peered into the crystalline waters, turning black almost, as if an enormous pot of ink had fallen haphazardly into the tide.

"This isn't over." I felt the calming fear radiating from the woman despite the hard edge in her voice.

Sure enough, from the depths rose a creature unlike anything I will ever see in this lifetime or the many I have to come. The gash at my side throbbed, eyes like saucers. This creature was unreal.

He was at least thirty foot tall and reminded me of the ancient images of the god Poseidon, though his body was covered in black scales and his beard was made of bones from fallen sailors. A crown adorned his frighteningly large head, created from what appeared to be the finger bones of pirates, considering heaps of rings glittered on each digit. His eyes were as blue as the ocean with what appeared to be a storm raging on them. They were the eyes of _Roman_.

_"Do you think I am so easy to get rid of?" _His voice boomed around us. "_I shall add the fabled _Marianne_ to my collection, along with the hero of this war, the Hero of Skill, and the last of the royal family of Albion!"_

His fist was brought down upon the vessel, squashing only a man or two in the process, and luckily the wood did not bend or break under the force.

"Capt'n! Sirens!"

Alouette, who had been addressed, turned to issue orders, despite it being _my_ role on this ship. "Shaei, Hale, the two of you lead the men against the other sea creatures! Deryn, get the hell off the deck and into the cabin. Charles, go with him and figure out how to kill this monster. _And do it quickly!_"

"AYE CAPT'N!"

"Wait, I can help!" Deryn was wildly waving his arms about, but I stopped him from continuing with a pointed look.

"I believe you will only get in the way, _Prince_. Now, let the heroes handle the big ugly monster." He was carted off by a few of the crew members.

"Any ideas on how to kill him?" Alouette had brandished her gun once more, using it effortlessly and watching the bullets bounce off his scales. "What in the name of Skorm?!"

"_I AM A GOD! YOU CANNOT KILL A GOD WITH MORTAL WEAPONS!"_His laugh would be enough to annoy me for eternity.

We were in some deep trouble...

_**:.:-(To The Age of Ages)-:.:**_

**Alouette's Point of View  
**_First Persons_

I dodged, I shot, I threw my _Blades _spell... Nothing worked against this monster! I was sure one of my arms were broken by this point, luckily not the one I used for my best aim, and the man at my side was starting to worry me.

Reaver truly had aged without a sacrifice to the _Court_. He was still nimble, though not nearly like he used to be. He barely avoided the monster before us, rolling about the ship as if it was a great effort to do so. I bit my lip every time I caught a glimpse at the new gashes he received or the bruises that were sure to come. Even in a shift, I was doing profoundly better.

And then it happened...

My eyes caught a movement, the sword made of deadly sharp coral swinging in an aimed direction at a speed that was almost incomprehensible. It moved, a flash of red, and I could not even get a scream out in time.

It sliced open _his _stomach.

"REAVER!" I plummeted towards him, cradling the falling pirate in my arms. "Reaver! No, you can't die! Not now!"

Blood spurted from his lips, the wrinkles around his face creasing in a strained sort of agony. He did his best to mask the pain, but I could see straight through him. "Silly. I never thought _this_ would be the way I would die. I am much too handsome to go down looking like _this_ and by the hands of _that_."

"Shh..." I coo, trying to quiet his murmuring. Each word brought a fierce breath to him, harder to breathe. "Reaver... I... I love you. I know you already knew, but I do. I've loved you longer than even I really know. I realized it in that cave back on the Isle of Mihandrogs. The only reason I even went for Roman was because you wanted me to prove I _didn't_... And I didn't want you to know. I'm so sorry..."

"Yes, it is all your fault." I felt my heart stop at his words. "Unfortunately, it would seem as if something Sparrow said to me a very long time ago proved true enough in the end. If you are unaware of what I speak of, you were never meant to know in the first place."

"Reaver!" I felt his life slipping through my fingers as he spoke. His words puzzled me though, but now was not the time to ask. "I'll kill him and then I'll find a way to heal you!"

"Pet, come here." Before I could jump up to slay the laughing monster, Reaver gently pulled me down. I could not protest as his lips crashed to mine in a kiss unlike anything we had ever shared.

I understood in that one gesture everything he never wanted me to know.

"I'll see you on the other side, my little Alouette. Now, go and kill off that hideous eye sore so I may have something pleasant to see before I die. Do make it quick."

I nodded to Reaver, my body shaking in a rage unlike anything, and I mean _anything_, I had ever experienced. My fingers tingled, _Blades _dancing around me as lightning took to my hands.

"_Oh, you think now you have the strength to defeat me? With your love dying on the floor behind you?_" Roman, or the creature that was _once_ him, snarled, laughter pouring from his throat and sputtering saliva everywhere. "_YOU WILL NEVER KILL A GOD!"_

"I WILL KILL YOU FOR TAKING HIM!" The voice was not only my own, but I felt Grandmother Sparrow speaking through my lips with me. Even in death, she was furious, though no onlooker would be able to realize it was more than me.

The final moments of my conscious life were a blur afterwards.

First, the lightning in one hand and the sharp Will floating around me mixed into one deadly blow. The two combined struck Roman with a ferocity this world had not yet seen, but it did not kill him. The scaly flesh of forehead split all the way across one eye, earning a roar in the process.

His hand came. I hit the side of the captain's quarters and broke part of the wood. My head swam. I felt sick. I was bleeding.

We had lost.

Then, all at once, a light woke me from my half-conscious state.

_**:.:-(To The Age of Ages)-:.:**_

**Reaver's Point of View  
**_First Persons_

Many would say that the story of your life flashed before your eyes upon the last moments of life, yet it did not come to me. I did experience a few images, but they were only of Alouette. Not even Sparrow graced my dreams.

A scream pierced the air, though it was not the monster's that roused me. I could see _my _Alouette sprawled within an indention in the wood of the captain's quarters, bleeding from her broken arm and barely conscious if any at all.

She was not dying, but at the time I did not know that. I honestly believed she would meet me in Hell, if the _Shadow Court e_ven allowed me that luxury.

I wanted to save her, wanted to make sure she lived where I could not. It was a selfless deed, one that no other would believe capable in my hands, but even I had a _few _flaws- or human tendencies, as one would know- when it came to this particular woman.

A bright light began to emit from me, one I had never seen before. The wound on my side and at my stomach closed up and the years shed from me like wet clothing, peeling away to reveal the _Reaver _that I truly was.

Time had stopped, but only briefly, and in the light a woman came to me. She was beautiful with wild red hair and reminded me greatly of my Alouette, but she was not one in the same. No, I knew this vixen well, despite being _dead _and all...

"Sparrow."

_"Reaver."_She smiled down at me, her body partially translucent and her age that of her prime. I knew she was dead even then.

"What is going on?" Yes, I was curious. "I believe about now I should be off dying and so forth."

_"Oh, you were dear!" _Sparrow chuckled with her hands on her hips. _"Fortunately for you, I have one last chance to pop up and surprise everyone from the afterlife. Unfortunately though, this will be my last go."_

"What did you do?" I narrowed my eyes on the lovely woman, sitting up and running my fingers through my hair. "How am alive?"

She wagged her finger at me. _"The _Shadow Court _owed me a favor I never collected on for something that is none of your business. So, considering your sacrifice just barely made it there a few seconds ago, I used my favor in death to have them sew up your wounds. Now, I hope you remember what I told you so many years ago, when I was still an actual form."_

I nodded, huffing. "Yes, and now you've come to rub it in my face as you seemed so fond of doing. I have no time for that. Get on with it and leave so I can go about my business."

_"Impatient as always,"_ she laughed, the sound almost as musical as Alouette's. Almost. _"I simply want you to remember what I said. Apparently you've already realized what I meant that I was right, as I usually am."_ Arrogant bitch. _"But, be warned. I am no longer able to come to this world, ghost or not, after this. Valentina has a few more opportunities, but I doubt she will interfere in Alouette's life. Take care of my granddaughter and do so for eternity and more. Good bye... Reaver..."_

As she faded away, time picked back and I immediately jumped to my feet to avoid a deafening blow from the brute. My gun was pulled out, and my bullet was true.

The gash Alouette had created on his forehead in the thick armor of scales was enough to accept the projectile. Between the small inches of open skin, the bullet pierced and I watched as it flew out the other side of his head.

The seas dropped, sirens falling to the ocean and hurrying on their way. The ship ceased it's angry rocking, unmoving on the gentle waters. The figure of black scales before us let out a shriek, a dying call, and it was over.

It was over.

"Alouette." I was at her side as soon as I watched the beast shatter into millions of pieces, raining an ooze of blood and bones- both his and those of the collection on his head and beard- all over the deck and it's inhabitants.

I gently placed my fingers to her pulse, but her fingers stopped me before I did. She was smiling, no _grinning _insanely at me, blood trickling from her mouth.

"I'm not dying and you aren't dead. Now come here and kiss me before I decide to kick the bucket after all, you handsome asshole."

"With pleasure, my little minx."

_"Albion is safe."_ The cheers on deck were not enough to drown out the witch behind me. _"And we have the two of you to thank. Your task is done for now, heroes, but Albion will always need a savior."_

"Yes, well next time pick someone else," Alouette hissed for me, only an inch from my lips after being pried from the wood.

"She never does. The old witch has quite a knack for ruining one's life," I added, unable to look away from her.

_"Until next time then." _Theresa smiled carefully, nodding her head in thanks to both of us before disappearing.

We stared at each other for a few moments before our lips met and things simply felt right. I smirked, she laughed, and we were content.

"We're saved!" The entire crew cheered with a new vigor as the prince exited the captain's quarters.

"To Alouette and Reaver!" Prince Deryn added, smiling secretively at the two of us.

"To Alouette and Reaver!"

Everything was simply perfect.

_Even after Alouette found out the _Contessa_ was nothing more than driftwood._

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**REVIEW! Since the story is drawing to a close in the next chapter or two, I would like to know what everyone has thought thus far.**

But remember! This is not all for Reaver and Alouette!

A one-shot series is slightly in the works for FABLE II, III, and _To The Age of Ages_ as a whole!  
Not to mention

_The Little Siren {A 'The Little Mermaid' sort of_ _mini-story.}_** will be coming for the two of them as well!  
**


	24. XXIV: The Coronation

**Author's Note: **Alright, I decided to divide the epilogue and this chapter up into two, if only to stall this story a bit longer. I believe I might cry when I finally post the last one... -sniffles- To all following this story, I might not post the mini-story, the Little Mermaid parody, with Alouette and Reaver as our stars until a month or so. It all depends on my schedule. To my readers that do not follow this story, I'll be posting a new chapter to THIS story after it is completed to inform everyone of the debut date of _The Little Siren_. That way, you don't have to author follow me, considering how many I have in the works right now. Do keep reading and tell me what you think of the second to last chapter of _TO THE AGE OF AGES!_

**animefan506: **I could never kill of Reaver! -le gasp- I love him far too much! Fuck yeah we would hunt the broad down! -spit shines her pitchfork- I'm ready for mob-mode, should that day ever come! =3 I hope you enjoy this one dearest. The epilogue is the final part after this one. -cries to herself- Oh how I'll miss this story!  
**chellcat86: **First, thank you for the birthday wishes lovey! =3 It was a very, very, veeeeeeeery drunken night, let me tell you. It was AWESOME! And trust me, I'll be bawling my eyes out when I finish off this story, but like I said I'll be putting up a Little Mermaid parody that I think will fit splendidly with Reaver and Alouette, not to mention the one-shots I'll do eventually. =3 I still have yet to get very far with _The Journey, _mainly because I find it hard to pick it back up. I just don't like it... But now I need to go watch the spoiler end on youtube since you're talking about it! They clearly said it was NOT canon to the series, but at this point I don't know what the hell Lionhead is thinking. Yes ma'am, that was why they said it was NOT the way Fable was going to continue. All the fans were NOT happy with the ability to CREATE heroes and so forth, me being one of them. Maybe they could say it was some awful dream of our next hero in Fable 4, ne? I hope so! I'm glad I have not disappointed you in this story darling! =3 I tried to keep everyone entertained while still in character or having a good time. Plus, plenty of Reaver, mind you! -grins- And I could not let Reaver die! I would be mutinied from my own fanfiction site here! Lol! Reaver must live for eternity, thus why he will be in EVER Fable, or ELSE! -shakes fists at Lionhead- I wanted Reaver to have the last shot to symbolize that Alouette and him work together in a way that could bring down the gods, if you got that, lol. I probably could have worded it better than that. I just want all my readers and my friends to feel as my characters do. If not, what am I worth as a writer anyways? =3 The Little Siren will happen, as I stated earlier, along with some various one shots that are just darling to read. I have the first one made up now, which I'm sure you'll enjoy and it will be posted a few days after the close of this story, I promise! It is a one-shot called 'Pirateer', involving Alouette and Reaver, but that is all I will tell you my greatest friend and reader! -huggaggles- I'M GOING TO MISS YOU! -sniffles-  
**VanquishLithium: **Ah, you're gonne make me cry! -sniffles harder- Is it really your favorite Fable fic out there? O.O Reaver is meant to be a pompous, conceited, asshole... Thus, even in love he must be as such. He cannot be some pansy, pussy push-over like some people turn him into. I cannot stand that, above all else, and thus have made it my task to do my best to keep him as he should be. And in regards to the other princes/princess you can create for stories, I find a lot of them to be the same drab, boring, goody-goody or entirely evil creatures. I wanted Alouette to be different and a mix, unable to find if she would rather tip onto the side of good for Albion, or onto the side of evil for herself. She is meant to be a confusing, yet completely understandable creature, honestly. I hope you like the second to last chapter darling! The final is the epilogue!

**Alright everyone, review. I'll have the epilogue up soon enough... -is sniffling to herself-**

THIS CHAPTER IS RATED M FOR MATURE!

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Four: The Coronation**

"And will you uphold the honors of your country, all of Albion, Aurora, and any others, at all costs to yourself, physically, mentally, and rationally?"

"I, as King of Albion, will accept all terms given to me. I will uphold the honors of all of those in my nation and those around me. I will protect, defend, and risk my life for the safety of my people, my lands."

"Then, by the power of the High Priest, I will now anoint you as our King, youngest boy of the Royal Family of Albion," the man calls in a booming voice, dipping his forefingers in the oil of the Holy Temple of Light, dabbing it against Deryn's heart, head, and hands. "With this heart. . ."

"I will cherish my people, my family, my lands, and all that wish to be part of Albion."

"With this head. . ."

"I will think for my people and their protection. I will be a just ruler and I will never do anything that is not in their best interest."

"And with these hands. . ."

"I will hold my sword and my shield on the front lines of any injustice that threatens to overtake Albion."

"Stand, Deryn of the Royal Family," the priest calls, ushering him up. "I now will solidify your new reign as king with the crown worn by your grandmother Sparrow, Hero of Bowerstone, and then by your mother, Valentina, Hero of Brightwall. All Hail King Deryn!"

The cheers were deafening as the man turns to face his subjects, smiling at all of them. "Stop! I have much to say!" All at once, silence prevailed. His eyes roamed across the crowd until he stopped at me. "I have done nothing more for this war to end than give my sister the hope and rescue she needed. I will not be marked as the hero, no. Alouette- my sister, the pirate, the convict, and whatever else you may think of her- has saved us all. Not alone, no, but with the industrialist you all know as Reaver as the one to deliver the final blow to the monster that threatened the entire world. We are all indebted to them, forever, and I shall write their names down in history books and sing their praises far and wide, as you all should. Alouette, Reaver, _thank you _for our lives.

"Though, we have suffered many losses at the hands of the seas we cherished and still need. Driftwood shall be rebuilt and renovated. Bowerstone Market, which is now half submerged, is to be repaired and drained. Aurora, though vast in her struggles to survive in this world, has already made great efforts on recovery. I shall mourn the losses of all the lives taken and rightfully so, whether it be for Albion, Samarkand, Aurora, or any of the other continents. Not only will I give my condolences, but I offer my thanks to- not only Alouette and Reaver- but to all who lost their lives trying to fight for this war. But for now, we honor the dead as heroes and the living as legends."

Again with the clapping, the cheering, and people turn to bow to me as well from where I stood, smirking at the lot of them. I had my arm linked through that of a handsome man- the one not broken, mind you-, one that would be stuck with me whether he liked it or not. Of course, he didn't seem to be complaining at all. Besides, one as beautiful as I should be paired with one of intense image, and a heart that had been given solely to me. Oh, I was definitely in love alright.

Deryn approaches the two of us, embracing me fondly and repeatedly whispering his love and thanks to me. He turns his head to the taller man on my arm, beaming up at him. "And Reaver, I owe you a great personal thanks as well. If not for you, my sister _would _be dead. Thank you." The men shake hands, Reaver turning his nose up and giving the same delightful simper I had fallen so hard for.

"Ah, don't expect me to go off saving you lot again, unless I am properly paid that is. Now, if you don't mind King, we must be off. Tatty bye and so forth," he chuckles, allowing me a moment longer to hug my darling brother again.

"I love you, and if ever I am needed again, don't be afraid to call. Please, pass this down to all of those that are in our family line," I whisper, having already told him about my immortality long ago. "Good bye, my brother."

"I love you as well, and I will," he calls as we head down from the front of the castle and to the docks nearby. "Good bye, my sister!"

Reaver steps up to a massive boat, one of a darker coloring than my last ship and even larger, the words _The Dragon Stomper_ carved upon the side of the vessel, considering the _Marianne _had been left to Deryn by our Grandmother, with a false dragon's skeleton at the front of the ship. (Reaver supplied it, so I actually wonder if it was truly a real skeleton. He would never tell me. . .) I smile in glee at the structure, the two of us heading on and greeting our crew.

It had taken some getting used to, considering it was many months ago that the War of the Six Seas was waged against us. Aurora had nearly been consumed, though some of the smaller towns closer to the coast had been, and Samarkand was just as badly damaged, Debal now completely gone. Reaver and I had been together for quite some time, and (though he will probably never say it where any besides myself could hear him) he had confessed a very deep, dark secret to me. Apparently I was not the only one in love, and now the two of us were inseparable, thus why Deryn had a new ship crafted and had given it to the both of us a gift for our great deeds for Albion.

Of course, Reaver had made a few comments about how he could have bought a bigger, better one himself. What an ass...

Hale had not been so happy at the news, but had taken it in strides. He no longer worked on the vessel, promising to one day join our crew again. First, he needed to get his life into something more, something different. I suspected him to be in Aurora by now, for he always favored the town. Charles had also stayed behind, meeting a librarian from Brightwall, a beautiful girl who was the granddaughter of the librarian my mother had made a pact with. Samuel, I believe his name might have been. Or was it Sammy, Emmanuel. . . Oh never mind, I really did not care for half of the names of those I had come across.

Shaei was the only memorable part of the crew that had stayed, stating that his only home was on the sea. Also, he mentioned that, "I would rather sail with a Captain I trust with my life than one I might die behind. But this does not go the same for your... consort."

"Ready for the rest of our lives?" I grin up at Reaver, still clutched to his side and in my pirate regalia. He had changed from his white ensemble as well, donning his red, black, and gold piece as I had. "We certainly have eons to do as we please."

"I suggest Samarkand. I hear that a new sort of Debal has been situated, though with much more exotic things to try," he growls seductively. "And I believe there is something else we must be attending too soon, my little minx."

"Our heading is Samarkand!" I holler to the crew as Reaver picks me up, carrying me into our _sound-proof_quarters and throwing me upon the bed. "Reaver, my love, you certainly aren't trying to waste any time, are you?"

"Hush," he coos, ripping the clothing straight from my form with little effort. I did not even scream my protests at my favorite outfit being torn, too busy in his administrations as his mouth makes its way to my core. His tongue works like magic, swirling around before teeth gently nibble against my clit, feeling an explosion of ecstasy trying to rise in me. Oh, he would have to do much more than that!

"Get up here and _fuck me_!" I do take this moment to scream at him, throwing his clothing as far away as I can and yanking him down on top of me with the strength of a hero. He shakes his head, pulling me up and carrying me to the desk. With a sweep of his hand, all of the documents that were nestled upon the oak fixture were swept off, replaced with my bare ass.

"I would suggest you stop ordering me around, love, before I get. . ." He pulls my legs open, slamming his member in with a crushing force. I shudder around the girth, the length of the massive thing, satisfied to know that Reaver's was certainly the biggest dick I had _ever_ experienced, and ever will for that matter. ". . ._fierce_!"

"Oh Avo!" I moan, the desk rocking as the two of us begin furiously joining hips over and over and over again. It felt amazing, lights dancing behind my eyelids, and I felt orgasm after orgasm beginning. "REAVER!"

"Open your eyes and _look at me!_" he orders, and I do so willingly. I watched as his face contorted into the most delicious of emotions, ones never seen outside of the bedroom by _anyone_.

This was how our night continued, and part of the following day after a necessary break, and I would not change anything for the world. . .

* * *

**Well there you go readers. You got a bit of a sex scenes. Reaver and Alouette are together. Deryn, our beloved princey, is King. Hale is pissy. Shaei is loyal. Charles is smitten... -sighs- The epilogue will be up in a few days to tell you the last tiddly-bits of Reaver and Alouette... I hope you all enjoy it and tell me what you think of the second to last chapter of** _To the Age of Ages._

**REVIEW!**


	25. XXIV: Epilogue

**Author's Note: **I just wantd to give a big thank you to everyone that has read this story and reviewed it as well. I've met a lot of people I absolutely love, and that much is certain. =] First of all, all of you know there will be a mini-series dedicated to Alouette and Reaver in a _The Little Mermaid_ parody. It is set to debut a week from now, but in the mean time I cannot leave all of you hanging. In the next few days, the first one-shot of the one-shot series I've created on _Fable I, II, III, _and _To The Age of Ages_ will be coming. The first chapter is set to be named _Pirateer_ and stars a darling child Alouette and the dashing industrialist. I hope all of you are ready to at least keep some of the fun going. After I have finished writing my Loki story, I might be making a prequel to this story about our wonderful Queen Sparrow and Reaver in her adventures during _Fable II_. Don't get your hopes up because I don't like promising things that might not happen. If it does, I will try to do it by Christmas so all of you have a personal present from _NixxH_ and all my works. =3 Now please, enjoy the last installment of _To The Age of Ages_. It saddens me to even post it... =[

**animefan506: **Ahh, I didn't leave it off too dramatically did I? =3 Don't talk about the end! I have other things to come involving Alouette and Reaver. They've been a popular duo and I cannot simply let one of my favorite OCs end so suddenly! -cries- I hope you'll follow me to see when new things involving them come out! -huggaggles- I'm thankful for your compliments and I sincerely hope this epilogue holds up to your expectations!  
**VanquishLithium: **I hope I didn't get you in trouble at school, lol! I cannot stand when others turn Reaver into a gushing lunatic that is absolutely nothing like he would act! He is meant to be a pompous, self-centered asshole that we all know and love, despite his affinity for shooting people in the head. XD He will never be an 'Edward' as long as I have the urge to write about him, this much I promise! Thank you for reviewing my darling!  
**chellcat86: **What do you know, the last chapter and I only got part of your review. -.- Don't worry, I'll be posting another Author's Note chapter at the end of the story in the next few days to a week when I finally post _The Little Siren _just to let everyone know it is out and answer the final reviews for this chappie. You are my bestest friend too darling! =3 I dressed up as a pirate (go figure) and paraded around talking in my best accent all night long. XD Of COURSE Reaver has a huge dick! And I had to give a bit of a sex scene, though I could have gone a lot more in depth. I wanted to leave the imagination open for others so they could envision whatever they wanted. XD And don't feel like a freak, I've noticed too during Fable III! . Reaver deserves love and someone that can entertain him for the rest of his many, many lifetimes. Thus, why I created Alouette. You know, it all started as a dream I had... I had a dream of a criminal angsting for the outside world, angry at everyone they know of that helped them get put there. At first, the idea was going to go to a Fullmetal Alchemist story, but then I thought: "Wait, my last Reaver story was awful (thus I deleted it before finishing) and I do so love him... Hmm... ALOUETTE!" Also, if the game doesn't continue to have Reaver in it when Lionhead starts up Fable IV, I will quit playing. I will. I might try it out, but I will seriously quit. And YOU BETTER STICK AROUND! I'm working on the image for the parody now, and whenever it is done I'll finish writing the mini-story. Plus, I'll be randomly updating one-shots and that should suffice enough to keep you around. XD And this is where your review cut off. -.- So I'll reply to the one you leave me for this chapter and the rest of this one during my Author's Note for the next chapter.

**ON TO THE FINAL CHAPTER OF **_TO THE AGE OF_ _AGES_**! Meanwhile, let me go cry in a corner somewhere... T_T**

* * *

**Epilogue**

_It is rumored that, many centuries ago, a duo set forth on a mission to save all of the world from the very thing they loved the most- the seas. Yet, can a legend ever be so simple?_

_The woman was said to have been beautiful, a princess and a criminal alike, with hair the color of blood and eyes as blue as the oceans._

_The man is often remarked as devious, both handsome and in attitude, with dark flowing hair and brilliant eyes. His features were only marked by one imperfection, one that was not so imperfect at all, and rested below his eye in the shape of a heart._

_Along with legends come weapons. They possessed all six of the pistols said to be bathed in the blood of dragons and mechanisms named of the like. None could match their prowess with said effects, even to this day._

_But their stories vary, ranging in magnitude and greatness..._

_Once, he saved the world from a maniac, a ruler with an adverse love of dark arts and evil at the side of three others. But that is not where their true glories lie, but instead on the very seas they worshipped._

_Long ago, when the waters threatened the world, they stopped them with mighty fists, throwing the very god of the seas from his throne and into his watery grave. They sailed forbidden waters and faced monsters unlike anything the world will ever truly know, only to come back unscathed and yet, more valuable to the other._

_She was a princess and a queen of pirates, the Hero of the Six Seas._

_He was a scoundrel and a king amongst pirates, the Hero of Skill._

_**:.:-(To The Age of Ages)-:.:**_

"And then Daddy shot the monster straight in the forehead, saving Mommy and we lived happily ever after," I murmur to the two that sat on my knees, grinning broadly at their cheering. "The end," I chuckle at the applause of the children.

"Mummy, is Daddy really such a great shot?" the little six-year-old girl questions, her long hair the color of her mother's, while her eyes were the same as her father's. "Tell me Mummy!"

"Oh yes," I recall. "Your Daddy is an amazing shot. Despite how hard I try, I can never compare to him in that league. But if you keep it up, maybe you'll be better than him one day. Then we can rub it in his smug face, alright?"

She nods vigorously before being interrupted by a more boyish voice on my left knee. His hair was as dark as his father's, eyes as blue as the very oceans themselves. "Mum, will you teach me to use Will one day?" What a great question for a ten-year-old, one that really never liked to sit on my knee but was forced to.

"If you show that you have the gift of it, I certainly will my darling little Andrew," I coo softly, kissing his forehead. "And Jace will be the best shot of all the world. Alright kids, go get something to eat from the galley and let Mommy make sure Daddy isn't trying to kill someone again. And don't you dare get into the alcohol supplies this time, Andrew! I swear, I still haven't been able to find anymore _Gangreen Fairy _since your last mishap."

"Okay Mum!" They were off in a flash, allowing me to get up from my chair and head towards the helm, wrapping my arms around the middle of the man in question. Reaver smirks down at me, leisurely putting an arm around my shoulders.

"Sad that we have to return to Albion for such an event," I whisper, yawning to myself. "I can't believe Hale finally died. He was well in his eighties. Too bad, he made a damn good first mate. Damn good in bed too, though not even in your league."

"When I wasn't trying to shoot him without you looking," he jokes, though I wonder if he was really serious. "Your brother will be happy to see our spawn again I'm sure. It has been forty years to the day since his coronation."

"And yet we do not age and watch my loved ones die instead," I sigh, but could not hide the smile on my face for long. "Just think, if we ever do die, we will have a whole army of children at our disposal. Unless you decide to start using a condom."

"Ah, that will be the day my dick falls off and is fed to a hungry Hollow Troll," Reaver chuckles, the two of us staring into the distance. "I'm too perfect for such a thing to happen, don't you agree."

"Reaver, you really don't change with the years," I give a louder laugh this time, reaching up and kissing him. "And if you ever, _ever _ask for a threesome again, I'll kill you. The last one we will ever do was in New Debal, understand?"

"I didn't hear you complaining. Myself and a strong, strapping exotic man tumbling in the sheets with you and. . ."

"Shh!" I hush. "The kids might hear you!" We share a small laugh again, enjoying the sinking of the sun into the waters of the Fourth Sea, Eldemiem. "Reaver, I don't think our life could get any more perfect, do you?"

He grins, Shalee, son of Shaie, taking the wheel as he scoops me up, carrying me towards our chambers. "I do believe there is _one _thing that could make this moment more perfect than before." The door closes behind us.

"You damned, dirty, delicious pirate! I fucking love you."

"Ah, I'm sure you do, love. I'm famous, you see," he snickers at the pointed look he receives. "And I love you, my raunchy queen."

To the Age of Ages.

_**:.:-(To The Age of Ages)-:.:**_

_It rumored that, many centuries ago, a duo set forth on a mission to save all of the world from the very thing they loved the most- the seas. Yet, can a legend ever be so simple?_

_They were said to have been ethereal, saviors of the world... Or perhaps they were merely devils in disguise as miscreants all along? Their lives would never end, set on a track of eternity and then some, able to watch those they cared for wither and those they disliked fall beneath their feet._

_Perhaps he never was handsome, instead as ugly as the trolls. Perhaps she was not really a woman at all, a story made up to shame the royal family. Better yet, were they but mere tales of grandeur fabricated in the middle of a war to aid in the hopes and prayers of those facing their deaths?_

_Surely so... Legends of eternal love such as theirs, as strange as theirs, have never been real. Undying, unyielding... Imperfect but perfect to the eyes of two strangers that were destined to meet, two strangers that were not quite strangers from the very beginning._

_It is said that was the reason a dock was built during the reign of King Deryn I, to await a woman whispered as his family, his sister... To watch the waters each morning and each evening, wondering and wishing to see her and those aboard a haunted vessel once more during his lifetime. It is also said he died at that window, peacefully smiling as a ship sailed into the horizon._

_Deep down, in the hearts of those of Albion, buried in history and still murmured over fires, there are few who still know the truth. Again, hidden in records untouched for centuries in a castle that overlooked the very ocean itself, it is said these two exist._

_Two, and one in the same._

_Undying love had never seemed so_devious.

**THE END**

_Or is it...?_

* * *

**-CRIES- IT'S OVEEEEEEEEEER! -hugs onto the first reviewer she can- I'm going to miss this story sooooo much! I never wanted it to end! Alouette seriously became one of my favorite OCs of all time, if only because of her personality and how well she was matched for Reaver, even as she developed. I'm sorry it had to end everyone! T_T**

Oodles of love from your author!

_NixxH_


	26. End Note

**Hello darlings!  
**  
I promised to update here as soon as the mini-series to accompany this story came up. Well, good news! It has officially begun as of... oh... ten minutes ago! =3 I have answered all my review replies to the last chapter of _To The Age of Ages_ in the beginning of _The Little_ Siren.

It's been a short ride with all of you, but know that I do value each and every reader, whether they review or not. You are all wonderful and just by clicking on my stories, you keep me writing. It is nice to know others out there appreciate the jumbled mess of thoughts that tend to pour into my fingers. =3 For being such great readers, here's a little present for you...

**Teaser summary of _The Littlest Siren_:**

_The Littlest Siren__: Reaver x OC/Alouette. _A **Fable** fanfic. _The Little Mermaid __style_. Long had she been a prisoner of her own home. Responsibilities had been thrust on her shoulders like lead weights. She tried to break from her restraints, tried to do everything she could against her mother's iron rule. She became a warrior instead of a lady to spite Queen Valentina, yet then she was forced to lead the armies. All she wished was to escape, to get away, and what better place than the world above her home, above the seas? She yearned to one day meet the race that she sung to their deaths, even going so far as to save one of the most dashing and famous of all she had heard of. All her dreams at last came true when a blind eagle whispered a prophecy and a monster gave her legs. Though, a price was to be paid and her debt would only be erased if she could attain a kiss from the King of Pirates, accompanied with the inner will to want her to remain alive forever beside him. How could Alouette possibly work this one?

Also, if you check my profile under _**My Creations...**_you will find a link to an image I drew and colored digitally of Alouette as a siren with a shipwrecked, albeit handsome Pirate King Reaver. =3 I could not resist! I want to make a whole group of princesses out of my OCs, along with images, so if you are keeping up with other stories then do keep an eye out for more.

Ah! I have begun the **randomly updated** one-shot series on **Fable I, II, III, **and my rendition of **IV**, which is _To The Age of Ages._ The title is: _Brutes and Balverines, Heroes and Hobbes_, if you wish to check it out too. The first chapter has a young Alouette in it with Reaver, of course, and a game called _Pirateer_. =3

Now, my part on informing all you lovely readers is done and I sincerely hope to hear from you about _The Littlest Siren_; _Brutes and Balverines, Heroes and Hobbes;_ and this dashing piece, _To The Age of Ages_.

I have stories of all different types written or in progress as well, so if you are into The Avengers/Loki, Yu Yu Hakusho/Hiei, Bleach/Gin, Ouran High School Host Club/Kyouya, How to Train Your Dragon/Tuffnut, or Naruto/Kakashi, do take a look.

I think that's all... . Oh well, that's all I'm disclosing. Xoxo!

**Love with all my heart,  
**_Nixx_


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